A mood of upbeat nostalgia permeates the campaign. Drawing on Paul Smith advertisements from the 1990s and early 2000s which celebrated the joy of dressing up, it aims to capture the glamour, opulence and playfulness of old Hollywood. Shot at a weathered country house staged to recall a movie set, the campaign features two distinct narratives: one of actors on set and the other of the antics they get up to when offset, away from the cameras. Recalling avant-garde director’s techniques and myriad cinematic styles, including surrealism, as well as Paul Smith’s signature use of color, the campaign showcases a highly saturated palette, inspired by the RGB color model and the mechanics of cinematography.

Shot by photographer Johnny Dufort, the images make use of blur, flashes and glares to emphasize the richness of the color palette while visible shadows of lighting equipment and rigging are intentionally kept in to emphasize the artifice and as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the construction of the image. A trompe-l’œil effect, seen in the AW22 collection, is also present in certain shots to create a dreamlike feel.