British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith has designed a range of stamps for the
Isle of Man postal service, each themed around an event in the London 2012 Olympics.
The designer commented that he wanted to make the collection positive, colourful and with a strong graphic style. He is a lifelong fan of competitive cycling, having been prevented from following a career as a racing cyclist at the age of 17 after a road accident.
The Cycling Road Bike design from the collection is directly inspired by Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish - an Isle of Man native and good friend of the designer.
The 70-day Olympic Torch Relay will begin on 19 May in Land's End, Cornwall, to arrive at the opening ceremony in Stratford, London on 27 July 2012.
Subscribers can see Sir Paul Smith's poster designs for British thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and also read about the impact of the London 2012 Olympics on British retail collections in our S/S 2012 retail preview.