Paul Smith had one thing in mind as he created the Instagram-famous Pink Wall: to be as recognizable and appreciable as the Eiffel Tower. Trademarked with Pink, the Iconic Wall stands vibrant and forever “Instagramable.”
Droves of people flock and keep leaning against the dazzling pink wall of Paul Smith’s Flagship store on Melrose Avenue. A group of friends, all women, wearing heavy makeup, dressed in expensive mini-skirts and stylish bucket hats, leaning into each other. They pose, putting on their best model faces, as a group member extends her long arm for that perfect We-fie.
Another woman in her early twenties, influenced by the latest pop culture, dressed in fancy sweatpants and a baseball hat, strikes a pose, tilting her head to the side, throwing up the popular mini heart gesture as her friends take pictures of her.
Well, it turns out the women have come all the way from South Korea to do their own pink wall shoots. Makes you wonder how on earth they discovered Paul Smith’s iconic Pink Wall.
“Instagram,” they yelled simultaneously while giggling to their heart’s content.
It’s estimated that at least 100,000 people journey to the store’s pink wall each year, all to take grandiose shots and upload them to Instagram. With how famously celebrated and globally recognized it is today, the pink wall is truly only second to the Great Wall of China in terms of being photographed, as Paul Smith claimed.
But while the iconic “pink wall” may as well be the center of attraction, Paul Smith’s own Flagship store, which sells suits for men and houses a collection of photography and sculpture for dreamers and art lovers alike, lies beyond it.
“I actually thought it was a makeup brand. Boy was I wrong,” exclaimed the clueless young adult from China who was so familiar with the “pink wall” yet had no idea what the store stood for. But can you blame her? Most people just come for the aesthetics and leave as soon as they take their picture. Would they be surprised if they discovered that it’s one of more than 300 retail store locations representing Paul Smith’s menswear label since his first store in 1970?
It’s known that the brand hasn’t exactly embraced or done much to reach this height of popularity, other than a few comments you’d find on various social media platforms. But one thing’s for sure, they have always refused to comment further.
While the brand wouldn’t have predicted that its iconic “pink wall” would blow up on social media a decade ago, Paul Smith had already dreamt of this building becoming a social media phenomenon.
“From all sides, Paul always wanted a building that would be remembered like the famous Eiffel Tower,”- Richard, Paul Smith’s assistant manager.
Paul Smith’s assistant manager added, “He is an intense Mexican architect, Luis Barragan’s admirer, and the color for the pink wall comes as an inspiration from Rosa Mexicano, Barragan’s signature pink.”
The Famous Rosa Mexicano is splashed across Mexico City and at the museum, which was once the former residence of Luis Barragan. Still, the thing about beauty is, it is without imperfections! No photographs are allowed inside the museum.
Even the man himself, Luis Barragan, was known to be colorblind, and his lover/assistant chose this shade of pink, making it even more special. It’s been said that the shade was specifically chosen to bring light to the surface, an old visual trick that lit up buildings that relied on skylights and windows for illumination.
The inspiration wasn’t taken for granted, since Smith’s work was up to the level of his icon; picture takers can easily create the perfect depth they aspire to in their photographs, moving forward and back.
“Our iconic pink wall has the perfect vibrant background and is placed perfectly facing the sun and light’s direction, making them hit faces while capturing moments,” Richard adds. “The brand’s color pink, pink ladies, is also trademarked, meaning it cannot be ordered from any paint stores without a code, which only I have.”
The Birth of Instagram came shortly after five years into Paul Smith’s move to Melrose Avenue, and by then, the pink wall had garnered all the attention since picture takers glowed spectacularly on their posts.
“The pink wall was meant for great heights and basically reached it overnight,” Richard explains. “It’s a gift and a curse that most of us in retail never get to experience, not that we hate it, but the cons outweigh the pros.”
The man Smith basically spends, give or take, $60,000 a year to maintain and preserve the iconic pink wall. It’s been said that they have to repaint it every three months. Since the wall needs cleaning, and hosing it down is not an option, their janitor, named Patrick, cleans it by hand.
With all the money spent each year and the attention it attracts, anybody in their right mind would think that the brand worships the wall and is used as the greatest marketing tool ever, and yet it couldn’t be further from the truth.
While the pink wall may be getting all the attention, the store is practically empty. But it’s not shocking since picture takers are generally teens and younger adults who can’t afford luxury clothing. Most shoppers are fancy-car owners who walk straight into the store and back without giving the iconic wall any clout, bringing a whole new level of gift and a curse.
“I’m that person the janitor calls at any time of the day with literally any issues, so if there’s an act of vandalism and such, I’m the first on the scene,” says Richard. “Since the multiple graffiti incidents and other issues that needed fixing, we’ve started taking measures to stop it from happening again.”
A street artist who went by the name Thrasher had graffitied the wall multiple times, and the last incident occurred at 2 am on the 12th of September 2018. “Go Fuck Your Selfie” was the words sprayed all across the wall.
The meaning behind the graffiti Thrasher so violently sprayed was to empower young women and tell them they didn’t need approval from social media or society. The idea, in a nutshell, was, “You’re all beautiful, don’t let any individual tell you otherwise.”
“Paul received an apology from Thrasher’s manager, and they even offered to pay for all the damage they’ve caused,” Richard says. “Although Smith refused and said that he wouldn’t be taking anything from them except their promise that they wouldn’t do it again, he followed it up with criticism.”
“No man should be telling a woman what is acceptable,” Richard added as he gave a quick laugh.
To prevent such incidents, the brand established a couple of rules to protect the iconic pink wall and hired security personnel to enforce them. Some of the rules the wall strictly enforces are that individuals are not allowed any props, costumes, or professional cameras, and that no feet are allowed to touch the wall.
There’s a sign posted that lists all the rules, along with the brand’s Instagram handle, their preferred hashtag, and a geotag. “We need to live by rules if we want good things to stay good,” Richard adds.
“The popularity and success the famous pink wall has gained throughout the years are monumental, and to leave without a picture leaning against the wall would disappoint culture.” With a rough estimation, Richard states that the visitors are in the majority, approximately 70 percent, are from across the pond.
Given the number of international visitors, it would be a shame to just stick with expensive clothing; even though some tourists, who appreciate Paul’s work, are delighted to purchase goods, most visitors don’t. To cater to all types of tourists, the store decided to sell a variety of souvenirs and other merchandise and to hand out free postcards and pins.
Even the hospitality shown at the store knows no bounds. “In good faith, the brand’s staff provides water to people taking pictures at the Instagram-famous pink wall if they come inside and certainly allows each one of them to use their restrooms.”- Yelp comments.
With people from all over the globe visiting this iconic pink wall, the traffic the street attracts is truly glorious, and all the other stores surrounding the wall have claimed that they reap the benefits as well.
“Been working at the Carrera Cafe for years now, and one thing I can positively say is that having the pink wall near your business is frankly a blessing in disguise,” says a barista.
But the attention couldn’t be better directed, since the picture-takers visiting the monument, the pink wall, have free Wi-Fi, bathrooms, and a place to charge phones at the cafe. It’s almost like it’s heaven for models and influencers blooming on various social media platforms.
While there have been myriad offers for Paul Smith to advertise various brands on their wall, they have been adamant in turning each one down.
