Welcome Paul Smith Fans, to the new print for Spring/ Summer 14!

Paul Smith Men's 'Mini on Location' print. 
NEW For Spring/Summer 14.

Paul Smith has given it's iconic Mini-on-location print a richer rework for the new season. With a fresh colour scheme. Well done Paul Smith you never disappoint us! 
 

----

The Mini was photographed at Rufford Country Park in Nottinghamshire. In the Hometown of Sir Paul Smith himself!

Situated at this park is Rufford Abbey, a country estate. If you have the chance I would definitely recommend to have a look. Been here before and is lovely to walk around. The grounds are extensive, with lots to explore. 

Here are some examples from his new range:
(They'll be on our website very soon. But, they are in our shops now though!)
 

 





This is part of our display in our Quiet Street Shop (Downstairs) - - >











Rufford Country Park: 
Just to prove its beauty to you and why Paul Smith chose to do the photo shoot here. 
Some lovely attractive photos for you....

Summer Sale in full Swing

Our summer sale is going down a treat online and in store - so we wanted to share a few more of our favourite picks before they're gone! We really do have something for everyone, so if you're after a gift for a summer birthday, or looking for a little treat for yourself you won't be disappointed. Don't forget we also have a HUGE 30% off all of our Kartell stock - more of which is in store so well worth a visit to our Quiet Street store to see our bargains.

1. Sew heart felt slippers in fox - rabbit and donkey designs also available, these are just too cute for words, we love them! - Was £19.95  Now £16.95
2. Paul Smith polka dot triangle bikini - beautiful 40's detailing will ensure you look fab on the pool side this summer - Was £110  Now £88
3. Nixon Wire headphones in bright yellow, other colours are available, better than your ubiquitous white or black -Was £39.95  Now £29.95.
4. Bitossi salad utensils, these salad servers are made from bamboo from the new biodegradable range - Was £6.95  Now £5.50

Super Summer Sale!

It's our end of season already (even though the sun only just seems to have made an appearance here!) so we're celebrating summer with some HUGE discounts! We have some really great offers on furniture and lighting, men's and women's accessories and lots of lovely gifty bits too. Take a look at our top picks for today and let us know what bits you can't wait to get your hands on....

Kartell Bourgie lamp designed by  Ferruccio Laviani is a classic and can be spotted in some pretty exclusive interiors! Was £196 Now £137.20 - that's a  HUGE 30% off!

Ally Capellino Dean Rucksack - shown here in mustard and black (also available in khaki and olive) Was £215 Now £172

Paul Smith ladies Westbourne hobo bag in mustard - from the exclusive luxury range of handbags that Paul created especially for SS13 - read more here - Was £830 Now £664

We have an even bigger range of sale items in store, so if you can make it to Bloomsbury Store New Bond Street or Quiet Street in Bath you won't be disappointed - and it's gone, it's gone!

Seasonal tips with Paul Smith

We recently had our seasonal visit from Kim and Noel from Paul Smith Accessories, and as always they were full of interesting facts about this seasons collection. We were reminded of the Paul Smith stripe being the 'DNA' of the brand and told this season onwards they are looking to use it in more select and subtle ways. After all they are a fashion house and need to evolve! You will notice this season we have the stripe on only a few wallets and phone cases, these are still of course top sellers but we're seeing the stripe used in more ways - such as on the multi-check scarf and multi-check swim shorts - so expect more like this next season. Autumn Winter will also see a much darker stripe so if you are keen on the bright stripe now maybe your best chance to indulge yourself!

Multi-check swim shorts - £89.95

We're really excited to have some beautiful exclusive handbags from Paul Smith this season. The gorgeous Albermarle and Westbourne bags are really luxury soaked handbags made in Italy in classic designs with fashion forward colours. These bags are very striking in both colour and design and so to give them gravity Paul has named them after two of his London stores.

Recognising that people no longer buy bags for different occasions Paul Smith have made their designs as versatile as possible, including zipped pockets and pouches, different length straps and from next season all handbags will have a pouch for your Ipad. Things to go next season will be the ladies attached keyfob and the the hardware on the Swirl bags will say goodbye also. Looking forward to next season the swirl is going all 60's with a super Maxi swirl design.We're also happy to be stocking more items made in the UK such as the scarves and gloves, these are all denoted by the special 'Made in the UK' swing tickets. Look out for the swing tickets with Paul's camera on also, these items feature photo's taken by Sir Paul himself!

Seaside scarf with photo's taken by Paul Smith - £95

Bath In Fashion 2013

Bath in Fashion is one the most anticipated fashion events outside of London and this years showcase looks to be better than ever! Taking place between the 13th-21st April there is an exciting line-up of fashion shows, illustration workshops and fashion talks.

Bloomsbury will be showcasing our Paul Smith, Ally Capellino and Beck SonderGaard Spring Summer '13 ranges in the Designer Fashion Show on Friday 19th April held at the Assembly Rooms. Book your tickets here!

We're also hosting a late night shopping event on Thursday 18th April in our Quiet Street store with 15% off all full price items! We hope to see you there.

Another highlight of the week will be on Sunday 21st April at The Little Theatre where the Oscar winning hair and make-up team behind the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit will introduce a special showing of The Hobbit, talking about how they created all those amazing characters.

Don't miss out!

 

Mum's the word!

Mothers Day is soon approaching (heads up - this Sunday!) so here are a few of our favourite treats for Mum's everywhere.

1. Orla Kiely Towels - from £4.95

2. Miller Harris Noix De Tubereuse Eau de Parfum - 50ml - £62

3. Nixon Timeteller P Watch - anodaze red - £69.95

4. Burts Bees Travel Basic's kit - £17.95

5. Paul Smith Leather Heart keyfob - £35

6. Beck sondergaard Sailor Tote bag - navy - £49.95

And don't forget Mums to be! 

This Burts Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is a gorgeous treat for growing bumps - £13.99

Follow this link for some more great Mothers Day gifts.

New Paul Smith for Maharam Collection

We're very excited to this season be stocking some of the gorgeous Paul Smith for Maharam collection. Paul Smith has collaborated with this American company to create exclusive textiles that have been applied to business folios, wash bags and holdalls. 

"We work with a company in America called Maharam, who make upholstery fabric. This design is based on the pattern of a Fair Isle sweater. Every time I use mine people comment on how nice it is, it's great!" - Paul

We love the unusual use of the upholstery fabric on the bags as it makes them seem more special and reminscent of old travelling bags. The use of the Fair Ilse patterns also goes to make the bag seem very British.

Maharam have a very beautiful website with examples of all their custom made fabrics and design studio - Maharam - definitley worth a look.

Take a look our collection here - Paul Smith for Maharam bags!

                                               

credit to Maharam for last image and paulsmith.co.uk for Paul's quote

Final sale markdowns!

Our final markdowns on the sale have now gone live and there are so many amazing deals to have! There are some really great products that are not only now a bargin but will serve you well for years to come. Take a look at some of our favourites...

Ally Capellino Dean rucksack was £220 now £132. Save 40%
This beautiful sturdy Raucksack will handle whatever you throw at it - or in it. Made with heavy waxed canvas and leather trims it's a versatile bag that you will love forever.

Paul Smith Mini puddle reflection business folio was £240 now £144. Save 40%
As with all Paul Smith bags you can rely on top quality trimings and finishes. This quirky print plays on the synonymous Paul Smith striped Mini. Finished with hard wearing saffiano leather and brass fittings it's a bag that means business.

Paul Smith Bowly bag in teal was £370 now £222. Save 40%.
A very on trend bowling bag in a gorgeous deep teal colour - Pantone have announced their colour of 2013 as Emerald. So get ahead of the trend with a bargin!

Paul Smith Carousel tote bag was £225 now £88. Save 60%.
A livley tote bag from Paul Smith with a silky red hankie print all over. Comes with a great bright purse to keep essentials from floating around.

Pantone chair was £55 now £38.50. Save 30%.
All colours in the chair range have been discounted so make your kitchen, balcony or patio a bold spectrum.

Canteen chair was £199 now £99.50. Save 50%.
Inspired by the stackable chairs in school canteens these powder coated steel framed chairs come in five beautiful colours. An instant classic.

Pinterest Competition!

You've got to Pin it - to Win it in our Autumnal themed Pinterest Competition. We're in love with Pinterest. It's such a great place to come across the weird and wonderful, and if you're not careful loose track of time!

We've created a board of all our favourite Autumn finds from cosy knits to warm auburn leather pouches to bright orange Nixon watches and Paul Smith mugs (perfect for hot cocoa!).

We want you to get involved too!

All you have to do is create your own Pinterest board titled 'Bloomsbury Autumn Look' and include your favourite Bloomsbury products that would make your Autumn season extra cosy!

The board must include at least 10 pins from Bloomsbury, but show us what Autumn really means to you.

Once your happy with your board email us with a link to your board at hello@bloomsburystore.com
We'll pick our favourite board on 25th October so get pinning!

PS Christmas Collection

Here's a quick snap of the wonderful Paul Smith Christmas collection print, a quirky take on the mini on location print - this holdall is now in store!

Know your Paul Smith

We recently had a lovely visit from two Paul Smith accessories reps, Noel and Kim, for some training on the new season products and a really insightful look into how many of the Paul Smith pieces are made. We were led through the materials, the reasons behind the choices of colours, prints and fabrics and a sneaky peek at what to expect next season.

The first fascinating thing we learnt was that all of the prints across the men's bags are printed in the UK using a special sublimation process. This means the print is actually sucked into the fabric and won't ever come out or scratch off. So your bag may get a bit grubby but the print won't ever be affected! For this season Paul has started using a polyester mix (on the cycle components print) which I think really shows off the quality and details of the prints brilliantly. Another addition to the bags this season is the introduction of a cross-grained Saffiano leather on the straps. This leather is much more hard wearing and durable than previous choices and will ensure your bag will wear well, whatever you throw at it!

This season there is also a good number of items that are made in the UK, which we've noticed people are increasingly looking for. It's nice to know that a British designer is utilising our great traditions and workmanship. Some notable pieces are the women's cable knit snood, hat and mittens. This cute set was all knitted up in Scotland, with a beautiful mix of knit styles on the snood and hat, you just know this is going to be cosy! Just look for the 'Made in the British Isles' swing tags on pieces for items that are made right here. 

The knitwear, both men's and ladies, always have a nod to the signature stripes, usually in a more muted tone. But as a great example of how the accessories are linked to the main fashion lines - we were told that one of Paul's inspirations this season were jellyfish (???) and you can see some neon flashes throughout some of the knitwear. 

We were also told that the signature Paul Smith stripes and swirls are being pulled back a bit, you can already see that this season. Don't worry they aren't dropping the stripes, but want to be more selective with how they use their signature. This is evident in the women's handbags, looking at the collection the swirls are mainly confined to the edges and trims allowing just a hint of the swirling colours. Personally we think this is a nice move as it makes that hit of colour a bit more subtle and elegant. Check out this Globe bag for one!

Pro tip - If your covetable Paul Smith handbag should get dirty then a tiny bit of washing up liquid in warm water lightly applied should help lift out marks, also a spit polish will lift out subtle marks.

Something else to look out for this season are the special pieces with the 'Daydreaming with my Camera' swing tags. These pieces feature a photo print taken by Paul on his trips around London. So the beautiful hankies we have in store are all shot by Paul - we really like the close up Number 20 as this is the Paul Smith head office front door!

As for next season look out for dark prints and colours and the use of more upholstery style fabrics. We all cooed over some beautifully heavy striped fabric that was going to be used on bags and shown the next Mini on location prints...think spotlights...

Summer Sale Picks

Our Summer Sale is in full swing and we know many of you have been enjoying it! There are still some great deals to be had, here are a few of our favourite picks!

This summer seasons accessories collections from Paul Smith and Ally Capellino have given some great classic shapes and colours which will last you a life-time. The summer sale is a great way to buy investment pieces at a snip!

Daddy Cool

Fathers Day isn't just about socks and ties (although we do have some very cool Paul Smith socks!) lets think outside the box. We have some fantastic gift ideas for your Dad whether he's retro cool, sophisticated cool or just plain cool - ideas here!

And it's not just your dad - what about Grandads, father-in-laws and husbands! Show them how special they are with a gift they will remember and make them break out in that special dad dance just for you!

Here are our top picks.

and if you really must - or maybe he does really need some socks we always think Paul Smith are the best!

Weekend Getaway

It's the May Bank Holiday and we're thinking of getting away from it all (especially this rain if possible!). If you're doing the same, here is our tried and trusted list of essentials to take on a weekend away.

1. Miller Harris fragrance's are our new favourite must have! My personal favourite is the Fleur Oriental, guaranteed to transport you to distant lands.
2. Burts Bee's Radience Day Creme will keep you looking fresh and glowing whatever you get up to.
3. Tokyo Milk mini soaps - will not spill in your bag (like most of my shower gels!), comes in cute mini sizes and will lightly frangrance your bag, you simply can't go wrong.
4. A scarf can be the most versatile item in your wardrobe, I love this World of Hearts scarf by Beck Sondergaard is a beautiful large wrap to keep you cosy in the evening.
5. Take a travel journal to keep note on all the sights and sounds of your weekend. I always have a notebook close to hand for those sudden moments of inspiration, delicious dinners and whatever else won't fit on a postcard. The Literary Transport range is a perfect fit.

6. Remember to brush twice a day! 

7. I always have a camera when I go away and this handy little Ted Baker case is perfect to keep all your kodak moments safe and sound.

8. I can't be the only one who can't go anywhere without handcream - my favourite is Tokyo Milk's Gin & Rosewater with it's shea butter drenching moisturiser and light exotic fragrance.

9. Never leave the house without your Burts Bee's lip balm, it's a real lifesaver!

Oh and I'll be taking one of these Rob Ryan umbrella's with me - you know, just in case!

Sole Mates

Summer days are fast approaching and we love the Paul Smith summer sandals and pumps that will see you through the long sunny days. Bright pops of colour, fine leather linings and the impecable Paul Smith details make these shoes a must for any summer outfit. Click below to see the whole Paul Smith shoe collection.

Clockwise from top right - Comfrey Sandals, Dafodil sandals, Musk espadrille, Primrose pumps in red, Canoa flip flops.

And don't forget to get your toes ready for those must have sandals! Burts Bees have some fabulous products - the coconut foot lotion is a personal favourite, not only because it softens and smoothes your heels and soles, it smells like a tropical beach! The Burts Bees Tips and Toes kit is a one stop shop for all your summer needs, and being all dinky sized they are easy to throw in your handbag! Click below to see the our Burts Bees range. Or you can also visit our sister site iloveburt.com who stock the whole range of Burts Bees products (and an added bonus of free lip balm with orders over £25!!).

Shown here - Aloe and Linden flower after sun soother, Coconut foot lotion, Tips and Toes kit, Lemon butter cuticle cream.