Impeccable German engineering and dapper British design: these are the impressive attributes of the Paul Smith Edition Leica X2. Smith, an iconic British fashion designer, turned his aesthetic attention to the efficiently manufactured 35mm X2, brightening the design of the normally austere but functional camera.
The camera, of which there are only 1500, grabs your attention with the light orange and yellow stripes on the top and bottom edges. This is enough to seal my appreciation for this expertly designed device–the stripes are pleasant decorations that seem to inject energy into the simple act of taking a photo.
The only other unique addition Smith lent to the X2 is a cartoonish light bulb on the top plate. Smith’s simple additions to the X2’s design maintain Leica’s own spare, functional design tendencies, and provide only the bare minimum of beautiful accessory to the manufacturers iconic red dot.
The best design always tends to be the least design. And Paul Smith executed this proof perfectly with the Leica X2.
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