Peter Lyon
October 31, 2025
It makes a difference when the man appears in person. And the Japanese audience and fans of Paul Smith were thrilled to see the British fashion icon live on stage at the Japan Mobility Show—at the spritely young age of 79.
Combining MINI’s distinctive appearance with Paul Smith’s remarkable design language, the new MINI Paul Smith Edition marks the next step in the successful collaboration between two British icons.
A partnership grounded in shared values of craftsmanship, creativity and innovation, the new MINI Paul Smith Edition follows in the footsteps of the original Paul Smith Classic Mini from 1998, the MINI STRIP in 2021 and the MINI Recharged by Paul Smith from 2022.
Launching with the MINI Cooper Electric and closely followed by the MINI Cooper 3-Door, 5-Door and Cooper Convertible, the British designer onboards his design language mantra ‘classic with a twist’ to the latest MINI Paul Smith Edition. The MINI Paul Smith Edition will celebrate its world premiere at the Japan Mobility Show on 29 October 2025.
Speaking on the introduction of the new MINI Paul Smith Edition, Sir Paul Smith comments “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 will be a welcomed surprise.”
The new MINI Paul Smith Edition showcases the familiar MINI design language with an influx of Paul Smith styling details throughout both the exterior and interior, bringing together the shared history of MINI and Paul Smith into the present day.
Holger Hampf, Head of MINI Design, comments “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.”
Familiar MINI exterior design, with a further British twist:
The new MINI Paul Smith Edition is offered with three exterior paint choices – two of which are introduced exclusively on this edition. Statement Grey is a modern interpretation of the classic MINI Austin Seven colour from 1959 – a clear, bluish-tinted grey shade – while Inspired White is a contemporary homage to the popular Classic Mini Beige shade. The final paint colour, Midnight Black, can already be found in the MINI Family.
Two roof variants – a specially created Nottingham Green (a homage to Sir Paul’s birthplace) or Jet Black – continue the edition, alongside Nottingham Green wing mirrors and bordering to the octagonal front grille. To further compliment the roof, a Paul Smith ‘Signature Stripe’ can be found for those who chose the Nottingham Green option, and for Jet Black customers, elegant gloss and matt black stripes.
Other exterior details include a handwritten Sir Paul Smith ‘hello’ puddle light projected from the door mirrors and signature on the rear of the model, while the MINI logo has been given a newly designed Black/Blue colour combination for the Edition. 18-inch Night Spoke alloy wheels in Dark Steel complete with Nottingham Green centre caps displaying Paul Smith lettering complete the exterior design of this Edition.
Thoughtful signature styling: Inside the MINI Paul Smith Edition.
Moving inside, the Edition contains numerous Paul Smith details throughout. Upon entering the car, the driver and front passenger will be greeted with Smith’s handwritten motto ‘Everyday is a new beginning’ on the door sills, while a graphic of a hand-drawn rabbit by Paul Smith will be found on the front floormat.
The familiar knitted dashboard and door panels of the MINI Cooper have been tweaked to include Paul Smith tone-on-tone striped patterns to add a subtle, yet striking addition to the interior.
The steering wheel showcases the same Black/Blue coloured MINI logo, while the bottom of the steering wheel sits the iconic Paul Smith ‘Signature Stripe’ alongside the Paul Smith wordmark.
Vescin sports seats – finished in Nightshade Blue – showcase the familiar Paul Smith stripes spread across the top of the seats with a stitched Paul Smith logo and blue stitching which can be found across the seats and steering wheel.
Further key touchpoints inside the Edition such as door handles, speaker grilles, steering wheel surrounds and cup holders, are all finished in Dark Steel, bringing together the hero colour palette of the new MINI Paul Smith Edition.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Creativity flows in both directions – Paul Smith finds inspiration in MINI, just as MINI looks to the designer for cues in exclusive pieces in his collections. To celebrate the launch of the latest edition, Paul Smith will debut a collection of capsule bags, inspired by key details from the latest MINI collaboration.
