Last week I was given the chance to sit with my fellow bloggers and chat with legendary Brit designer Paul Smith in his actual office(!) at the Paul Smith HQ in Covent Garden.

We were meant to be talking about his new fragrance, ‘Optimistic’ (more on that in a second) but instead, Paul decided to talk to us about – well – everything and anything! Here are a few things you may not have known about Paul Smith…

• Firstly, he’s like the coolest guy ever. He was warm, friendly, allowed us to poke around his office and even gave us an impromptu tour of Paul Smith after the talk.

• He loves it when guys tell him they wore Paul Smith on their wedding day.

• The famous Paul Smith bunny started life when Paul was daydreaming on a train. A friend asked Paul what he was looking at and he (making something up on the spot) replied ‘If I spot a rabbit, it means good luck for my next collection’. Ever since then, friends, family and fans have been sending him rabbits before collections and Paul adopted it as a mascot.

• Paul receives a lot of fan mail (varying between sweet, weird and wonderful) and he responds to all of it. Even going out of his way to meet fans at his office or for coffee.

• He’s always in head-to-toe Paul Smith – even his pants.

• Paul loves sales season at his stores because it’s far more satisfying to see people waiting for sales and searching through his clothes rather than purchasing without thinking twice.

• Paul loves a joke, he brought along a rubber chicken and train set to his first meeting with Paul Smith Japan. Now they expect to see both every time he visits!

In fact he’ll probably be in Japan at the time this post goes live – just to check in on the team (they’re all safe and well, thankfully).

On to the fragrance! Paul Smith Optimistic for Men.

Have fun, smile, celebrate and be positive with Paul Smith Optimistic for men. Containing an energetic top note of sharp mandarin and spicy black pepper, this fragrance really grabs your attention. The heart is a mix of sensations with the fresh note of mint and the softness of geranium. The base is a classic Paul Smith combination of aromatic and woody ingredients, with vetiver, cedar and the sensual surprise of amber.

I’m wearing it at the moment and it’s a clean, zesty, fresh and blokeish fragrance. I wouldn’t say it ‘grabs your attention’; it’s just easy, breezy and light. Perfect for Spring/Summer and a safe bet if you’re buying a gift! Launches at Boots on April 7th with prices starting at £25.