Following on from my previous post Incompatible objects, here’s a great example. Paul Smith has teamed up with Burton to produce a country sports inspired snowboarding jacket. It’s a nice addition to Paul Smith’s tradition of ‘classics with a twist’. The only problem I have with it is that it’s incongruous on two levels. I love the contrast between an English sports jacket and winter sports. What I don’t like is the mismatch between Paul Smith and snowboarding. Surely it should be a ski jacket.

I’ve used the very useful ‘what would Jesus do’ principle to check my thinking. In this case I’ve substituted Jesus for Jarvis Cocker and Peter André (one as an embodiment of the Paul Smith brand and the other as it’s polar opposite). Can you imagine Peter André on skis? No. Can you imagine Jarvis Cocker on a snowboard? No.

I used to walk past the Floral Street store on the way to work each morning to get inspired by the bizarre window displays. I’ve seen Paul Smith rumbling up the cobbles in his vintage Bristol en route to his attic studio. I think Paul Smith would ski. He would prefer the symmetry.