Happy Socks is a Swedish manufacturer, designer, and retailer of socks and other apparel founded in 2008 by

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

Mikael Söderlindh and

creative director A creative director is a person who makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos; and directs and translates the creative people who produce the end results. Creat ...

Viktor Tell. Their merchandise is sold online and through in-person retail distributors. There are approximately 100 Happy Socks stores across Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the U.S. In 2017, Palamon Capital Partners acquired the majority share of the company, valuing the business at $81 million, or SEK 725 million. As of 2023, Alexander Meyer is the CEO of Happy Socks.

Company history

Happy Socks began in April 2008, when Mikael Söderlindh, an advertising executive, and Viktor Tell, an illustrator and graphic designer, came up with the idea of colorful, printed socks. Three weeks later, production began in a Turkish factory. The socks launched at a price point of $10, and were initially sold on the company’s website. In the first year, Happy Socks' turnover was €1,000,000 (US$1,136,750). In 2016, the brand generated retail sales of $106.4 million. In 2017,

private equity firm A private equity firm or private equity company (often described as a financial sponsor) is an investment management company that provides financial backing and makes investments in the private equity of a Startup company, startup or of an existin ...

Palamon Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in the company from Scope Growth III. At the time, they invested $81.2 million in Happy Socks stock, and Palamon invested about $4.5 million of growth capital. As of 2018, the brand had sold more than 40 million socks worldwide. Happy Socks expanded to produce underwear and kid's socks in 2014. In 2015, the company added an athletic collection aimed at sneaker wearers and a men's dress collection. In 2017, they launched Hysteria, a fashion collection of materials such as viscose, glitter, and

nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

manufactured in Portugal and Italy. Happy Socks had previously been stocked in stores such as

Barneys New York Barneys New York is an American brand founded in 1923 by Barney Pressman that operated full-line department stores from 1923 until 2020. Authentic Brands Group acquired Barneys' intellectual property in 2019, and has licensed the brand to Saks F ...

and

Opening Ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event.

; this new collection, designed by associate creative director Paula Maso, moved Happy Socks into retailers such as

Selfridges Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of upmarket department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1908. The historic Daniel Burnham-designed Self ...

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights activist and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) is a multinational lifestyle retail corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Operating in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, select Western European countries, Poland, the United Arab Em ...

Tessuti Tessuti was a chain of designer stores in the United Kingdom, retailing men’s and women’s designer collections, including clothing, shoes and accessories for men and women. Tessuti was founded in 1985 by David Light. In December 2022, Frasers ...

Bloomingdale’s Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain founded in 1861 by Joseph Bloomingdale and Lyman Bloomingdale. It was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 1930, which purchased the Macy's department store chain in 1994, wh ...

, Galleries Lafayette, Voo Berlin, and 10 Corso Como. By the end of 2018, Happy Socks opened 100 concept stores in Paris, London, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Stockholm, and Tokyo. In December 2018, the brand opened its third shop in New York City. In May 2019, Happy Socks opened a second Happy Socks store in Los Angeles. Happy Socks began producing men's swim trunks in 2018. In Spring 2019, Happy Socks expanded the swimwear line to include a women's line, slider footwear, beach bags, towels, and pool floats. In addition to its headquarters in central Stockholm, Sweden, the company opened an office in New York City in 2018, followed by an office in Munich, Germany, in January 2019.

Celebrity partnerships

In addition to the Happy Socks original line, the brand attracted several celebrities who collaborated on creative projects and sock designs. In 2013,

David LaChapelle David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963) is an American photographer, music video director, and film director. He is best known for his work in fashion and photography, which often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. His ...

photographed the fall marketing campaign, which featured male and female dancers with socks. Film director

Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez ( ; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ...

, known for ''El Mariachi'', ''From Dusk Till Dawn,'' and the ''

Spy Kids ''Spy Kids'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of spy action comedy films created by Robert Rodriguez. The plot follows children siblings, who discover that their respective parents are spies and become involved in an espionag ...

'' franchise, created “Sock 'Em Dead,” a short promotional movie starring

Madison Davenport Madison Danielle Davenport (born November 22, 1996) is an American actress, best known for her role as Beatrice in '' It's What's Inside'' and as Kate Fuller in '' From Dusk till Dawn: The Series''. She also appeared in '' Kit Kittredge: An Ame ...

(''From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series'') as an actress making a vampire film who utilizes socks as a weapon.

Danny Trejo Danny Trejo (, ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. Known for his Danny Trejo filmography, large body of work as a character actor, films in which he has appeared in have grossed over $3.7 billion worldwide. A native of Los Angeles, Tr ...

and

Wilmer Valderrama Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama ( ; born January 30, 1980) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Fez in the sitcom '' That '70s Show'' (1998–2006), his current role as Special Agent Nick Torres in '' NCIS'' (2016–present), and Agu ...

also star. Rodriguez's sock designs were vampires. Video director

Tim Erem Timothy Frey Trond Erem, better known as Tim Erem, (born October 29, 1990) is a Swedish director from Lidingö, Stockholm. He is best known for directing and writing music videos for artists such as Rihanna, Drake, Tove Lo, Elliphant, Katy Perry, ...

partnered with Happy Socks to make a promotional video called "Happy Holidays" in 2018 that starred Pedro Pascal and was choreographed by

Michael Rooney Michael Joseph Kyle Rooney (born March 30, 1962) is an American dancer and choreographer. He is the last surviving son of actor Mickey Rooney, and is best known for his work on music videos. Rooney has won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Chore ...

. Marking its 10th anniversary in 2018, Happy Socks released designs that paid tribute to

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

, a collaboration with recording artist

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...

, and a second series with

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the group's film, '' Yellow Submarine''. In addition, the company has collaborated with the

Elton John AIDS Foundation The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is a nonprofit organization, established by musician Sir Elton John in 1992 in the United States and 1993 in the United Kingdom to support innovative HIV prevention, education programs, direct care and s ...

and released

Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the Graffiti in New York City, New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual l ...

socks and underwear. Happy Socks has done collaborations with celebrities, brands, and musicians such as

Iris Apfel Iris Apfel ( ; ; August 29, 1921March 1, 2024) was an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion designer, known for her flamboyant style, outspoken personality and oversized eyeglasses. In business with her husband, Carl, from 1950 ...

Ellen Von Unwerth Ellen von Unwerth (born 1954) is a German photographer. She began her career as a fashion model, before becoming a fashion, editorial, and advertising photographer. Early life and education Unwerth was born in Frankfurt, West Germany. As an or ...

, André Saraiva;

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...

Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...

's Billionaire Boys Club, and

Giles Deacon Giles David Deacon (born 14 December 1969) is a British fashion designer, illustrator, creative director and founder of Giles Deacon group, a fashion enterprise. Deacon joined the Paris Fashion Week in 2016. Deacon has been known to challenge the ...

;

A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mo ...

Miike Snow Miike Snow ( ) is a Swedish indie pop band formed in 2007. The band consists of producing team Bloodshy & Avant and American singer Andrew Wyatt. The band is often represented by a silhouette image of a jackalope. In their career, the band has re ...

Steve Aoki Steven Hiroyuki Aoki ( , ; born November 30, 1977) is an American DJ and record producer. In 2012, Pollstar designated Aoki as the highest-grossing electronic dance music artist in North America from tours. In 2024, Gold House recognized him as ...

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

and

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

. In April 2019, Happy Socks released a short film collaboration with

David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on the soap ...

called "The Hoff's Day Off," which includes swimwear in colorful prints and summer accessories for men and women. Hasselhoff stars in the accompanying video campaign. In 2020, Happy Socks released a collection of '80s

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

-themed socks in collaboration with

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

. This collaboration returned in 2021, when Happy Socks released a second series of socks featuring Disney's Sensational Six characters: Mickey and

Minnie Mouse Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. The longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, blue (or pink or red) polka-dotted dress, w ...

, Daisy and

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shirt and cap with ...

Goofy Goofy is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. He is a tall, Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic dog who typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fe ...

, and

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...

. The same year, the company also released a

Pippi Longstocking Pippi Longstocking () is the fictional main character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Pippi was named by Lindgren's daughter Karin, who asked her mother for a get-well story when she was off school. Pippi is ...

collection, a

Zandra Rhodes Dame Zandra Lindsey Rhodes (born 19 September 1940), is an English fashion and textile designer. Her early education in fashion set the foundation for a career in the industry creating textile prints. Rhodes has designed garments for Diana, Pr ...

collaboration, and a series of

Monty Python Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...

socks. In 2022, Happy Socks collaborated with several entities, such as

The Smiley Company SmileyWorld Limited, trade name, trading as The Smiley Company, is a brand licensing company, based in London, United Kingdom. It claims to hold the rights to the smiley face in over 100 countries. The company creates products including textiles ...

, WWF, and Studio Barnhus. In 2023, Happy Socks once again released a collection of The Beatles socks. The same year, the company also released a

Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson ...

collection and a

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

collection. In 2024 the company engaged in several collaborative efforts, including Awake NY, Rebel Walls,

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.

References

External links

* {{Official, https://www.happysocks.com/uk/ Clothing companies of Sweden Companies based in Stockholm Socks Hosiery brands

Company history

Celebrity partnerships

See also

References

External links