Smythson

SMYTHSON

Women’s Spring/Summer 2014

This season Smythson slips into the spirit of summer with a taste of the Mediterranean. Inspired by the vibrant colours and languid glamour of the Italian coastline, the SS14 collections bring a quintessentially British edge to the evocative flavours of Italy’s rich culture and lifestyle. A sublime palette of bright coral, white, warm biscuit and powder blue, peppered with the occasional bolt of cobalt, conjures a picturesque medley of pastel tones that is so evocative of seafront towns and promenades.
New to this season is the 1887 handbag. This sophisticated piece plays with surfaces and textures to create a beautifully minimal, sculptural effect that showcases the beauty of the leather. This is accentuated by bold colour blocking, giving the bag a clean, chic modern edge.
The Eliot is reinvented as never before with a host of striking styles and colours. A new soft, flat shopper tote is finished with subtle perforated panels. The large and mini totes have been infused with the new geometric herringbone pattern, making for truly eye-catching pieces.
The box clutch sees the introduction of a new selection of exquisite materials including natural python, while the shagreen range gets an injection of colour with coral, powder blue and dark dove grey. The envelope clutch has also been retouched to summery effect in smooth white calf.
Inspired by Smythson’s iconic diary, the new Panama collection features calf leather bags and accessories in an irresistible array of pop colours, from bright flashes of yellow, emerald and fuchsia to more classic, darker shades. A glint of gold hardware and discreet gold-stamped logo is a gentle nod to the diary’s gilded edges.

‘THE PANAMA LEGAGY’

The Panama Legacy: Smythson announces collaboration with young British artist Quentin Jones.

To coincide with the much-anticipated launch of the brand new Panama Collection of leather goods, Smythson is pleased to announce its collaboration with young British artist Quentin Jones. A series of ten artworks have been commissioned, inspired by the iconic Panama diary. Each of the pieces will focus on an individual high profile figure, from past or present, and explore their relationship with their Panama Diary or Book, illustrating this affinity through mixed media. The list of subjects includes Hardy Amies, Sigmund Freud and Katharine Hepburn, through to contemporary influencers such as Waris Ahluwalia, Erdem, Bryan Ferry, Kylie Minogue, Jonathan Saunders, Laura Bailey and Dita Von Teese.
Quentin Jones’ inimitable graphic, surrealist style defines a generation of new British artists at the forefront of the world art scene. Having studied Philosophy at Cambridge and Illustration at Central Saint Martin’s College in London, the model, film-maker and artist has since been working on many creative projects, including video collaborations with US Vogue and large scale artworks for stage backdrops at Glastonbury. Smythson is
delighted to be working with Jones on this project, cementing the legacy of the Panama Diary with Quentin’s fresh, modern approach, creating juxtaposition between traditional and contemporary.
“It is really exciting to get to work with a brand with such a great history – one that is so classic in some ways, and to be able to bring a twist to it. It is such a pleasure for me to have been able to work with so much creative scope and freedom.” Quentin Jones
The Panama Diary is central to the Smythson brand. Introduced in 1908 it was known as ‘the Panama hat of books,’ the remarkable pliability of its hard-wearing binding allowed it to be squashed, folded or rolled up without becoming marked or misshapen. It was the first to contain the now signature watermarked Featherweight blue paper, and remains virtually unchanged to this day – a testament to the timeless ingenuity of its functional design. Binding paper and leather into one beautifully crafted whole, the Panama Diary has since been an iconic encapsulation of the two craft skills that summarise Smythson’s ethos. It is in homage to this unassuming yet elegant diary that the brand new Panama Collection of leather accessories and products is based.
“The Panama collection is a natural evolution of the beloved Smythson diary and book range which is something that I have always used and admired, and is a great icon for the brand. Today we’re applying the distinctively textured Panama leather into a wider range of handbags and small leather goods and combining it with other materials to create entirely new product.’’ Rory O’Hanlon, Design Director
There will be an official launch at London Fashion Week on Sunday 15th September, where the artworks will be displayed at the New Bond Street store. They will be exhibited alongside the brand new SS14 collection of bags and accessories. The exhibition will open to the public from Monday 16th September for a week.
Product breakdown
Hardy Amies
1940 Tan Panama Diary
1942 Navy Panama Diary
1945 Navy Wafer Diary
1946 Navy Wafer Diary
1952 Red Panama Diary
Red Address Book with ‘ABROAD’ c.1960
1971 Navy Wafer Diary with ‘HARDY’
1977 Navy Panama Diary with ‘DEAREST HARDY’
1981 Navy Panama Diary with ‘DEAR HARDY’
Sigmund Freud
Navy Panama Notebook with ‘NOTES’ c.1938
Katharine Hepburn
Navy Address Book with
‘LONDON
CALIFORNIA
NEW YORK’
1955-56
Waris Ahluwalia
Red Panama Notebook with Palm Tree Motif
Erdem
Orange Large Manuscript Book
Emerald Large Manuscript Book with ‘ERDEM MORALIOGLU’
Bryan Ferry
Limited Edition Notebooks created for Smythson’s 125th Anniversary Celebrations, September 2012:
Red Panama with ‘MORE THAN THIS’
Yellow Panama with ‘MANIFESTO’
Purple Panama with ‘LOVE IS THE DRUG’
Navy Panama with ‘FOR YOUR PLEASURE’
Orange Panama with ‘SLAVE TO LOVE’
Kylie Minogue
Fuchsia Small Manuscript Book with ‘LOVE LOVE LOVE’
Jonathan Saunders
Emerald Large Manuscript Book with ‘JONATHAN SAUNDERS’
Laura Bailey
Purple 2013 Soho Diary
Dita Von Teese
Emerald Pamama Notebook with Stiletto Motif, ‘FASHIONISTA’, and ‘Dita’
Fuschsia Journal with ‘Dreams and Thoughts’ and ‘DVT’