Postage stamps have a special place in every designer’s heart. Especially this one.

Collecting stamps as a child, the liturgy of philately was very close to my heart. Less so now, but I have to say but the thrill of a new edition or special release (I’m sure that’s not the correct terminology) never fails to get me excited. The stamps that celebrated world cups or Olympic Games always created a collectors buzz.

These days there seems to be all kinds of stamps from superheroes to comics and pop culture to fashion. Perhaps this is more to do with the Post Office’s valiant efforts to keep the postal service relevant amidst the relentless march of technology.

So when I saw these beautifully designed stamps by Johnson Banks I smiled – they fit in wonderfully in the lexicon of intelligent postage stamps. The theme is fashion and I’ve picked out a couple of my favourite designers Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood.