In the wake of the successful Ahluwalia & Paul Smith partnership, which brought London-based designer Priya Ahluwalia into the limelight, the & Paul Smith collaboration series has taken its next step. This time, the spotlight is on NYC’s Commission. The connection began with a nod from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), who offered a select group of candidates for this unique collaboration.

The initial meeting between Paul and Commission’s Dylan Cao and Jin Kay sparked a natural synergy. Commission, founded in 2018, carries a mission to reshape the representation of Asian culture in Western fashion. The designers themselves are first-generation immigrants from Vietnam and South Korea, drawing inspiration from their parents’ 1980s and 1990s wardrobes, infused with nostalgia and a touch of uniformity, often plucked right from family photo albums.

With a nod to ‘Father & Son,’ a collection of photographs from both Paul and his late father, Harold Smith, it was clear where the creative journey would begin. Harold’s “light, witty juxtapositions” paired with Paul’s “caught moment” compositions laid the foundation for this collaboration. The generational connection was vivid.

The Paul Smith archive in Nottingham was another well of inspiration for Dylan and Jin. They dove into the depths of Paul Smith’s past runway collections, from the pre-millennium to the 1997/98 and 2002/03 seasons. The result: a 22-piece collaboration that reimagines vintage Paul Smith classics. Think an elongated wool-cashmere overcoat, a structured double-breasted brown worsted wool suit, and a buttery yellow leather field jacket with front and back waist pockets. Subtle accents like point collars, low peak lapels, and on-seam pockets harken back to the archives, while a vintage-inspired palette is brought to life with vibrant pops of color.

Check out the collection below: