The new MINI Paul Smith Edition marks the next step in the successful collaboration between two British icons. This partnership is grounded in shared values of craftsmanship, creativity and innovation, combining MINI’s distinctive appearance with Paul Smith’s remarkable design language. The new edition for the MINI Cooper Family stands out with a unique look featuring a British twist.
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.
