Happy Socks

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Wikipedia

Happy Socks
Company typePrivate
IndustryClothing manufacturing
Founded2008; 18 years ago (2008)
Founders
  • Viktor Tell
  • Mikael Söderlindh
Headquarters
Stockholm
,
Sweden
Key people
  • Alexander Meyer (CEO, 2023–)
Products
Parent
  • Palamon Capital Partners (majority shareholder)
Websitewww.happysocks.com Edit this at Wikidata

Happy Socks is a Swedish manufacturer, designer, and retailer of socks and other apparel founded in 2008 by CEO Mikael Söderlindh and creative director 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.[1] As of 2023, Alexander Meyer is the CEO of Happy Socks.[2]

Company history

Happy Socks began in April 2008, when advertising executive Mikael Söderlindh and graphic designer Viktor Tell came up with the idea of colorful, printed socks as a brand. 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 million (US$1,390,000). In 2016, the brand generated retail sales of US$106.4 million.[3]

In 2017, private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in the company from Scope Growth III. At the time, they invested US$81.2 million in Happy Socks stock, and Palamon invested about US$4.5 million of growth capital.[4]

As of 2018, the brand had sold more than 40 million socks worldwide. Happy Socks expanded to produce underwear and children'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 manufactured in Portugal and Italy.[5] Happy Socks had previously been stocked in stores such as Barneys New York and Opening Ceremony; this new collection, designed by associate creative director Paula Maso,[6] moved Happy Socks into retailers such as Selfridges, John Lewis, Urban Outfitters, Tessuti,[7] Bloomingdale's, Galeries Lafayette, Voo Berlin, and 10 Corso Como.[8]

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.[9] In May 2019, they opened a second store in Los Angeles.[10]

Happy Socks began producing men's swim trunks in 2018.[3] In Spring 2019, Happy Socks expanded the swimwear line to include a women's line, slider footwear, beach bags, towels, and pool floats.[11]

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 in January 2019.[12][13]

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 photographed the fall marketing campaign, which featured male and female dancers with socks.[14]

Film director Robert Rodriguez, known for El Mariachi, From Dusk till Dawn and the Spy Kids franchise, created “Sock 'Em Dead,” a short promotional movie starring Madison Davenport (From Dusk till Dawn: The Series) as an actress making a vampire film who utilizes socks as a weapon, appearing alongside Danny Trejo and Wilmer Valderrama; Rodriguez's sock designs were vampires.[15]

Video director Tim Erem partnered with Happy Socks to make a promotional video called "Happy Holidays" in 2018 that starred Pedro Pascal and was choreographed by Michael Rooney.[16]

Marking its 10th anniversary in 2018, Happy Socks released designs that paid tribute to Andy Warhol, a collaboration with recording artist Wiz Khalifa, and a second series with The Beatles, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the group's film, Yellow Submarine.[9] In addition, the company has collaborated with the Elton John AIDS Foundation and released Keith Haring socks and underwear.[17]

Happy Socks has collaborated with celebrities, brands and musicians such as Iris Apfel, Ellen von Unwerth, André Martins, Adidas, Billionaire Boys Club, Giles Deacon, ASAP Rocky, Miike Snow, Steve Aoki, Snoop Dogg[18] and The Rolling Stones.[19]

In April 2019, Happy Socks released a short film collaboration with David Hasselhoff called "The Hoff's Day Off," which includes swimwear in colorful prints and summer accessories for men and women.[20] Hasselhoff stars in the accompanying video campaign.[21]

In 2020, Happy Socks released a collection of '80s Mickey Mouse-themed socks in collaboration with Disney. This collaboration returned in 2021, when Happy Socks released a second series of socks featuring Disney's Sensational Six characters: Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Daisy and Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto.[2][22] The same year, the company also released a Pippi Longstocking collection, a Zandra Rhodes collaboration, and a series of Monty Python socks.[23][24]

In 2022, Happy Socks collaborated with several entities, such as The Smiley Company, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Studio Barnhus.[25][26][27]

In 2023, Happy Socks once again released a collection of The Beatles socks.[28] The same year, the company also released a Simpsons collection and a Star Wars collection.[29][30]

In 2024, the company engaged in several collaborative efforts, including Awake NY, Rebel Walls, Elton John, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.[31][32][33][34]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Anyanwu, Obi (16 January 2017). "Happy Socks acquired by Palamon Capital Partners". FashionNetwork United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 Hughes, Huw (21 August 2023). "Happy Socks names Alexander Meyer as new CEO". FashionUnited. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 Hughes, Aria (27 April 2018). "Happy Socks Founders Map Out Expansion Strategy". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  4. ↑ Hughes, Aria (8 February 2017). "Happy Socks Opens New Stockholm Headquarters". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  5. ↑ Hughes, Aria (28 August 2017). "Happy Socks Goes After Women". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  6. ↑ Pina, Tanisha (28 September 2017). "I Never Cared About 'Cute' Socks Until I Saw These". Racked. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  7. ↑ Spybey, Kat (26 November 2014). "Happy Socks to open UK flagship in London". Drapers. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  8. ↑ Pavarini, Maria Cristina (11 October 2013). "Happy Socks collaborate with David LaChapelle". Sportswear International. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  9. 1 2 Wilson, Marianne (11 December 2018). "Happy Socks in store milestone". Chain Store Age. Archived from the original on 9 August 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  10. ↑ Arden Chong, Dale (1 May 2019). "Happy Socks opens new Creative Hub with second Los Angeles location". FashionUnited. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  11. ↑ Driver, Robin (9 April 2019). "Happy Socks expands into swimwear for SS19". FashionNetwork.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  12. ↑ "Happy Socks". Oasis Capital. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "Happy Socks AB - Huvudkontor - Karlavägen 108 i Stockholm". Hitta.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  14. ↑ Lipke, David (9 October 2013). "David LaChapelle Lenses Happy Socks Campaign". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  15. ↑ Solomon, Dan (20 October 2015). "Experience The Terror Of Happy Socks In A Very Meta Short Film From Robert Rodriguez". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  16. ↑ Binlot, Ann (12 November 2018). "Watch 'Game Of Thrones' And 'Narcos' Actor Pedro Pascal Dance Into The Holiday Season With Happy Socks". Forbes. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  17. ↑ McBain, Liam (27 April 2018). "The Happy Socks Founders Embrace 'Love For All' With Keith Haring". Out. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  18. ↑ Binlot, Ann (9 May 2018). "Happy Socks Turns 10 After Collaborations With Iris Apfel, Snoop Dogg, A$AP Rocky, The Beatles". Forbes. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  19. ↑ Sahai, Fred (8 March 2019). "A Stones Rocker for Each Pair of Socks from their Happy Socks Collab". L'Officiel. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  20. ↑ Soo Hoo, Fawnia (9 April 2019). "A Bonkers Chat With David Hasselhoff About Hoff Merch and His Starring Role in the Happy Socks Summer Campaign". Fashionista. Retrieved 12 April 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ↑ DeAcetis, Joseph (9 April 2019). "David Hasselhoff Stars In Happy Socks First Swim Collection Celebrating A Carefree Heart Of Summer". Forbes. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  22. ↑ "The Sensational Six Meet the 1980s for Second Happy Socks x Disney Collaboration". Laughing Place. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  23. ↑ "Pippi Longstocking Socks 4-Pack White - Anniversary Edition". Astrid Lindgren. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  24. ↑ Feitelberg, Rosemary (6 April 2021). "Zandra Rhodes Seeing Only Blue Skies With Happy Socks". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  25. ↑ Blomquist, Christopher (22 February 2022). "Double Happiness: Introducing Happy Socks × Smiley". MR Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  26. ↑ "WWF och Happy Socks ger ut kollektion som hyllar naturen" [WWF and Happy Socks release collection that celebrates nature]. Världsnaturfonden WWF (in Swedish). 7 September 2022. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  27. ↑ Salmson, Lo (18 May 2022). "Studio Barnhus & Happy Socks går ihop för nytt samarbete + släpper singel" [Studio Barnhus & Happy Socks join forces for new collaboration + release single]. Dopest (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  28. ↑ Lonsdale, John (13 September 2023). "Get Back (to Basics) With This New Happy Socks × Beatles Gift Set Collaboration". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  29. ↑ Lonsdale, John (21 February 2023). "'The Simpsons' Gets its Own Colorful Happy Socks Collection, Just in Time for Spring". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  30. ↑ Battle, Taylor (18 September 2023). "Happy Socks' Star Wars Collection Is What You Must Have, My Young Padawan". The Pop Insider. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  31. ↑ Kearns, Sarah (21 May 2024). "Awake NY × Happy Socks Revive the '80s Gym Sock for New Collaboration". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "Rebel Walls × Happy Socks: A Wallpaper Collab". Rebel Walls. Archived from the original on 29 October 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  33. ↑ Johnston, Rylee (5 March 2024). "Elton John Wants You to Be 'Unapologetically Yourself' In New Happy Socks Collection". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  34. ↑ Chan, Tim; Johnston, Rylee (21 May 2024). "Happy Socks' Rolling Stones Collection Is Back In Stock Just in Time for Father's Day". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2024 – via Yahoo! Life.