“Got enough legroom back there?” Sir Paul Smith calls from the driver’s seat. Across from him, Mini’s design chief Holger Hampf rolls down the window. Outside, an eager crowd of Japanese fans, camera crews, and car experts surrounds us, captivated both by the car we’re in and the designers up front.

Japan’s car market, worth around $119 billion in 2025, ranks as the world’s third largest. At last week’s major Tokyo Motor Show, leading domestic brands like Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Nissan unveiled several attention-grabbing new models. Yet only one launch drew lines of fans eager for selfies and prompted (very polite) cheers: the new Mini Paul Smith Edition.

While the $4.6 trillion global auto industry and the $300 billion luxury fashion world have a long history of teaming up, past collaborations have mostly been skin-deep. From the one-off Gucci Cadillacs of the 1970s to this year’s Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani edition, fashion-touched cars have always been limited runs.

This Mini Paul Smith partnership goes much deeper. Starting at just over £31,000 in the UK (and available worldwide), this edition includes a full set of Smith-designed features, from paint and upholstery to badges and trim. These can be applied to four Mini models and are offered as a permanent, unlimited “Style” option at the time of purchase. With Mini selling about 300,000 cars globally, the number co-branded with Paul Smith will now depend solely on how many buyers choose this option.

Sir Paul, now 79, first began visiting Japan in the early 1980s to grow his brand. Today, there are roughly 160 Paul Smith stores in the country, all run by his long-term partner and licensee Itochu, which currently holds about 18% of his company. “When I first came here in the early ’80s, it was just extraordinary,” Smith recalls. “So many designers treated Japan as a quick way to make money and were disrespectful. For me, it was: wow, Japan! It’s a privilege to be here. The appreciation has always been mutual, and I’ve always felt it.” When Mini approached him in 1998 to create a special edition of 1,800 cars, his popularity in Japan meant 1,500 were sold here. Many are still on the road today and have more than doubled in value.

Twenty-six years later, Smith is back in the spotlight (in a Mini) in Japan. As we chat Carpool Karaoke-style, he and Hampf point out the new edition’s details. “This is knitted, recycled, and recyclable,” Smith notes about the interior’s tech-jacquard fabric. “It mimics our stripe, what we call the shadow stripe, basically in black. Then there’s blue stitching on the leather, the rabbit on the floor mats, the green mirrors—they’re just slightly off-colour, you know? Not your typical car shades.”

For Mini’s Hampf, this collaboration shows how car design can embrace outside creativity without losing its soul. “In a collaboration, both sides have to find themselves,” he says. “We can’t force car design on Paul, or make a fashion statement that feels fake. This is a tasteful offering with real substance, and that’s what matters most.”

Mini has been part of the BMW Group since 1994. At the turn of the millennium, it retired the Alec Issigonis-designed “classic” Mini, first launched in 1959, and introduced a modern redesign in 2001. In 2024, BMW Group reported revenues of €142.38 billion. In the first nine months of 2025, BMW sales in Japan grew by 6%, while Mini sales jumped 32%.Paul Smith did not disclose the terms of their new partnership. However, beyond any fees or royalties he may receive, his brand will gain significant marketing exposure by being featured on thousands of stylish new Minis driven worldwide. In return, Mini benefits from aligning with a designer whose reputation extends far beyond cars. At a soft-launch event in Shibuya before the motor show, guests included editors, trendsetters, and influencers from across Tokyo.

Collaborations between fashion and automotive brands are nothing new. Ferrari, for instance, has spent several seasons building its Rocco Iannone-designed fashion line at Milan Fashion Week. Meanwhile, Kering recruited its new CEO, Luca de Meo, from Renault Group to navigate the luxury sector’s challenges and fuel future growth.

Still, no car-fashion partnership has yet led to a major sales boost for either side. BMW describes Mini as “the world’s most exciting premium small-car brand.” If the Paul Smith edition—sold without sales limits—succeeds in BMW showrooms, that excitement could extend to the fashion world as well.

More from this author:
– Maria Grazia Chiuri returns to Fendi as chief creative officer
– ‘A dose of poison against nostalgia’: Early reactions to Duran Lantink’s Jean Paul Gaultier collection
– Why Meryll Rogge’s appointment at Marni is one of fashion’s most exciting moves

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful FAQs about the Paul Smith and Mini collaboration designed with clear questions and direct answers

General Beginner Questions

1 What is the Paul Smith and Mini collaboration all about
Its a special partnership where the famous fashion designer Paul Smith created a unique oneofakind version of the Mini car showcasing how design can bridge the worlds of fashion and automotive engineering

2 Which Mini model did Paul Smith design
He designed a custom version of the Mini Electric transforming it into a rolling piece of art

3 What makes this Mini so special
Its completely unique Paul Smith applied his signature stripes in 25 different colors to the cars body and infused the interior with his vibrant personal design touches Its not a production model you can buy

4 Was this car made for sale to the public
No it was created as a oneoff conversation piece to celebrate creativity and the 60th anniversary of the classic Mini It tours the world for display at design and art events

Design Aesthetic Questions

5 What are the key design features of the Paul Smith Mini
The most striking feature is the multicolored stripe paint job Inside it features a custommade brightly colored fabric on the dashboard and seats a unique steering wheel and a minimalist artgallerylike interior

6 Why did Paul Smith choose 25 different colors for the stripes
He wanted to reflect his personal philosophy and design studio which is filled with color art and objects that inspire him The 25 colors represent the joy and eclecticism of his creative process

7 Is the interior as bold as the exterior
In its own way yes While the exterior is explosively colorful the interior is designed to be a calm refined haven with highquality muted fabrics and minimalist details creating a surprising contrast

Purpose Philosophy Questions

8 What was the main goal of this project
The goal was to challenge conventions and demonstrate that electric cars and everyday objects can be both functional and beautiful injecting personality and artistry into automotive design

9 What does Paul Smith mean by the art of using the unexpected
He believes in surprising people and making them smile Putting 25 bright stripes on a car instead of a single predictable color is a