Paul Smith Fall 2023 Ad Campaign

Review of Paul Smith Fall 2023 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Paul Smith with Talent Matt Smith and Kiki Willems

What’s in a name? For Paul Smith, this season, there’s a lot. The brand has enlisted Matt Smith as the face of its new campaign for Fall 2023.

The British actor has been on a roll recently, making a name for himself as one of the leading faces in the UK’s entertainment industry with appearances in Dr. Who, The Crown, and House of the Dragon. As such, it’s no surprise that the iconic British designer should enlist his countryman and namesake to front his latest campaign.

Wearing a crisply tailored suit with effortless elegance, Matt Smith balances spontaneity with a performer’s power as he is captured in simple studio portraits. One image features an appearance from the other Paul Smith himself, and the two Smiths stand playfully side by side in a photograph that pays homage to the designer’s Spring 1994 campaign. Finished off with the designer’s handwriting, the images strike an elevated balance of poise and play. Matt Smith is also set to reappear for the brand’s Spring 2024 campaign next season.

I’m beyond excited to be working with Matt for the next two seasons – he’s the perfect fit for Paul Smith. He’s also one of those people who really embodies effortlessness, both in terms of his on-screen characters and his off-screen sense of style. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that he looks excellent in a suit.
– Paul Smith

The Smith-fronted men’s campaign complements the campaign for the women’s collection, which stars model Kiki Willems and takes a similarly crisp yet fluid focus on tailoring and day-to-night dressing.

With a casting choice that both makes for a playful nod to naming and doubles down on star power, the campaign is a strong statement of Paul Smith’s idiosyncratic elegance.