British with a twist: The MINI Paul Smith Edition. – AutoMart Canada

London / Munich. Paul Smith and MINI – two
traditional British brands have taken their partnership to the next
level and created something great: The new MINI Paul Smith Edition.
Following the MINI STRIP in 2021 and the MINI Recharged by Paul Smith
in 2022, the British designer is now bringing his world-famous design
language – ‘Classic with a twist’ – to the new MINI family. Whether
electric or combustion engine, the edition will be available for all
MINI Cooper 3-door, 5-door and Convertible models, with the exception
of the John Cooper Works models. The look and details not only show
Paul Smith’s signature style — but also the brands playful, optimistic
and independent spirit. The MINI Paul Smith Edition celebrates its
world premiere on October 29 at Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.

“It’s not often that you see two icons of British design work
together in this way and it’s wonderful that our partnership has
carried on over so many years. The MINI Paul Smith Edition has been a
real privilege and a wonderful opportunity… new colours and new
unexpected details that will be a welcomed surprise,” adds Sir Paul
Smith, expressing his thoughts on the collaboration and the new design.

Unmistakable look with a British
twist.
Combining MINI design with Paul Smith’s
distinctive style: Exclusive exterior colours, sophisticated accents
and unexpected details bring the shared history of MINI and Paul Smith
into the present.

“MINI and Paul Smith embody a shared mindset of positivity,
embracing the motto of this edition: ‘Every day is a new beginning.’
Our collaboration celebrates a mutual love for design and meticulous
attention to detail. Unexpected elements, such as the ‘hello’
projection on the ground and Paul Smith’s handwritten inscription
bring a smile to your face right upon entering the car,” says
Holger Hampf, Head of MINI Design.

The MINI Paul Smith Edition offers a choice of three exterior paint
finishes, two of which are edition-exclusive: Statement Grey is a
modern interpretation of the classic Mini Austin Seven colour from
1959 – a clear, bluish-tinted grey shade and self-confident statement
of timeless modernity. Inspired White is a contemporary homage to the
popular Classic Mini Beige colour, and finally the elegant and classic
Midnight Black Metallic from the current MINI Family.

Regardless of the body colour, the specially created Nottingham Green
paintwork – a tribute to Sir Paul’s hometown – adds sophisticated
accents to the side mirrors, the octagonal radiator grille, the wheel
hub covers with Paul Smith lettering and as the paintwork for one of
the two roof variants.

In addition to the colour variants, numerous details characterise
Paul Smith’s signature and make the MINI Paul Smith Edition
unmistakable: The ‘Signature Stripe’, a central design feature of the
British designer, adorns the roof in Nottingham Green at the rear of
the driver’s side. The alternative version of the roof features
elegant stripes in Jet Black in varying thickness, both matte and
glossy. The MINI Cooper Convertible Paul Smith Edition is supplied
with a black soft top.

All edition vehicles are equipped with 18-inch Night Flash Spoke
black aluminium wheels with tinted clear coat in Dark Steel. The MINI
logo at the front and rear is offered in newly designed Black Blue and
complements the colour composition of Paul Smith and MINI. On the
black horizontal handle strip at the rear, Paul Smith’s signature
refers to the creative spirit behind the vehicle design.

British restraint and elegance in the interior.

British character is also reflected in the interior with numerous
components featuring a modern, elegant look. The knitted surfaces on
the dashboard and door panels appear in black, while Paul Smith
fabrics in tone-on-tone stripe patterns serve as inspiration for the
special structure of the dashboard. The Nightshade Blue sports seats
are made of Vescin and have knitted textile in the shoulder and
headrest areas. Drawn from the Signature Stripe, the decorative
stitching on the steering wheel’s textile band is designed in bright
colours – quintessentially Paul Smith.

The round display in the centre of the cockpit also appears with one
of three different Paul Smith backgrounds when Personal Mode is
selected. Small hidden details underline the British design influence
– but also the playful character of the designer: when the door is
opened, the driver and front passenger are greeted with a handwritten
‘Hello’ as a light projection on the floor and Smith’s motto ‘Every
day is a new beginning’ on the door sill, reflecting the positive
mindset of both brands.  A graphic of a stylized ‘rabbit’ hand-drawn
by Paul Smith on the floor mat complete the interior details.

A collaboration that blends British heritage, bold creativity
and contemporary sophistication.
MINI and Sir Paul
Smith: two icons that are not only linked by their British heritage
but also look back on exclusive collaborations resulting in unique
styling. Their joint creative success story began in 1998, when the
designer created a limited edition of the classic Mini: a specially
created blue colour and matching anthracite-coloured alloy wheels lent
the iconic model the signature of Paul Smith.

To mark the 40th birthday of the classic MINI in 1999, the fashion
designer dipped an exclusive one-off in his characteristic stripe
design, using 86 stripes in 26 colours.

In 2021, the MINI STRIP celebrated its world premiere: a vehicle
designed using only what Paul Smith considered absolutely necessary.
The result was a customised one-off car that despite its minimalist
design and in keeping with Smith’s guiding principle of ‘classic with
a twist’, was not without unexpected and loving details.

In 2022, Paul Smith went back to the roots of the collaboration with
the MINI Recharged by Paul Smith. A classic found its way into the
now: a Classic Mini from the 1998 MINI Paul Smith Edition was
transformed into a modernised electric vehicle. With a focus on
quality and functionality, a contemporary vehicle was created that can
also be seen as a tribute to the tradition and heritage of the classic MINI.

Paul Smith MINI Collection

But it is not only Sir Paul Smith who inspires MINI with
creative ideas – the inspiration also works in reverse: the designer
repeatedly uses MINI as a motif on exclusive pieces in his
collections. To celebrate the launch of the MINI Paul Smith Edition,
Paul Smith will release a capsule collection of bags inspired by
details from the latest MINI collaboration.

In case of queries, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Franziska Liebert, Spokesperson MINI
Phone:
+49-151-601-28030
E-mail: franziska.liebert@mini.com

Micaela Sandstede, Head of Communications
MINI
Phone: +49-176-601-61611
E-mail:micaela.sandstede@bmw.de

Michaela Martinus, Spokesperson MINI
Design
Phone: +49-160-963-13773
E-mail: michaela.martinus@bmwgroup.com