Before becoming a fashion designer, Paul Smith was going to begin a career as a professional athlete. A serious accident, however, changed his destiny, leading him to pursue a career in fashion. He started taking evening classes to master the art of tailoring and with the help of his girlfriend (now wife) he created his first menswear collection, which he showed in Paris. With that being a success, he soon opened a boutique in Covent Garden. His first women’s collection was showing at the London Fashion Week of 1988. Aside from his clothes he is also known for the unique and disparate designs of his shops around the world. The flagship store in Melrose Avenue, LA is bright pink and looks like a film studio, drawing on the Hollywood heritage of the city of angels while the Jingumae store in Tokyo is shaped like a traditional Japanese garden. Aside from clothes Paul Smith has designed rugs, china, cars and of course fragrances.

The first official Paul Smith perfumes were the pair of Paul Smith Men and Paul Smith Women, both launched in 2000 and most of his fragrances have been released with versions for both sexes. Extreme Woman (2003) is a green floral with a unusual amount of cedar wood for a women’s fragrance. London Women (2004) is a sensual scent composed of woody and oriental accords. Rose is an elegant and floral fragrance, containing two different types of roses and other delicate flowers.