Back in 2012 Leica and Paul Smith excited the world with the unique cooperation of a camera brand and a fashion brand. Until this day fans of both worlds are still asking for the strictly limited Leica “Edition Paul Smith”.
And today, the acclaimed British designer Paul Smith presents a second collaboration with acclaimed German camera manufacturer that reinterprets the Leica CL digital cameras. Unique to the special edition, however, are ‘one-of-a-kind’ design elements inspired by Smith’s work, juxtaposing its rather eccentric coloring with precision German engineering and making this camera a must-have for Paul Smith and Leica Camera connoisseurs alike.

For this new photographic collaboration, Paul graced the classic Leica CL with his personal twist: a colorful makeover, with bold accent colors and a striped base. The eye-catching color scheme was inspired by Paul’s custom Land Rover Defender from 2016, which mixed together 27 colors that referenced the Defender’s diverse history as a service vehicle in the British emergency services, military and rural settings.

This limited edition of 900 is individually numbered and features custom illustrations from Paul on the camera body. A unique eye sketch sits above the viewfinder, while ‘look and see’ in Paul’s distinctive handwriting is found above the digital display screen. This references Paul’s famous quote: “many people look, but often they don’t see”.

Inside the specially designed presentation box, you will find the camera and lens, a neon rope strap with Paul Smith and Leica branding, a custom dust cloth that features a photo print of Paul’s vintage cameras, and a certificate of authentication.

The technical specifications of the camera and lens are identical to those of the serial production models. Together with an Elmarit-TL 18 mm f/2.8 ASPH. lens, the CL is a particularly compact, high-performance set of equipment that is an ideal tool for photographers who appreciate versatility, outstanding image quality, an intuitive handling concept, and iconic product design. The camera can also be connected simply and conveniently with the Leica FOTOS App to enable direct transfer of pictures to a smartphone. For regular users of social media channels, this particular highlight enables them to stand out from the crowd when they post pictures with the unique Leica look.

The Leica CL “Edition Paul Smith” set can be purchased from Paul Smith retailers, Leica Stores, and Boutiques for $3,995 USD.

More info on Paul Smith’s website.