He’s among the best fashion designers the U.K. has ever seen. With more than four decades of experience in the highly-competitive fashion industry, Sir Paul Smith has earned a special name both at national and international levels. Inspiration, collaboration and creativity all mixed into one, Smith brings wit and style into his fashion designs quite effortlessly.

The opening of “Hello, My Name is Paul Smith” at London’s Design Museum on Nov. 15 is, therefore, widely seen as an opportunity for those related to the fashion world – directly or indirectly – to explore the vast collections made by the fashion legend in the past, and along with it, learn how Smith happened to rise to such meteoric levels after starting his career in a 12ft X 12ft room as a 24-year-old.

The entry to the exhibition is through a three-metre-square cube that showcases Smith’s maiden shop on Byard Lane in Nottingham. Located adjacent to it is a hand-painted wooden mock-up of the room in Paris which the fashion designer used as his first showroom in 1976. Interestingly, as Smith himself recalls, all that he had in that tiny room during the Paris Fashion Week were a few shirts and jackets.

Inside the Exhibition

A huge collection of garments can be seen on both sides of a corridor. Visitors will be surprised to see some spectacular photographs displayed in a separate section. Also found on the wall is a camera used by Smith’s father, who was an amateur photographer. Along with fashion design, Smith evinces a lot of interest in photography, doubling as his company’s photographer.

A mini car and a couple of skis which were the veteran’s prime collaborations in the past also find a place at the fashion show. A giant-sized rabbit-shaped bin and cycling jerseys which were used by Smith over the years have also been prominently displayed at the exhibition.

The exhibition, convened to celebrate Smith’s career, also offers insights into how Smith managed to succeed as a designer as well as a retailer, besides throwing light on what inspired him to excel in the field for so long. Several pictures from the fashion designer’s personal collections also find a prominent place at the exhibition, which will run up to March 9, 2014.

As visitors come out of the venue after covering all the sections, a giant-size poster greets them: “Everyday is a new beginning.” And, that’s what Smith has been believing in ever since he stepped into the fashion world.

In addition to allotting a room for his Covent Garden design studio, Smith has also opened a room “Inside Paul’s Head” which he also calls as the “Paracetamol Room” as it serves aspirins to visitors in case they develop headache after going around the exhibition. Unsurprisingly, no one has asked for an aspirin so far!

Book and App

Paying rich tributes to the world-renowned fashion designer, a book titled “Hello, My Name is Paul Smith” has been released just ahead of the exhibition. Produced in collaboration with the Design Museum and published by Rizzoli, the book provides incredible visual experience through hand-drawn designs, eye-catching photographs and impressive essays on Smith’s popular works.

Close on the heels of the book, an iPad app with the same title will also be made available to enable more and more people to learn about one of the top-ranking fashion designers of the country.