socks. Happy Socks
David Bowie was known not only for his inventive music, but also his equally inventive looks. Characters like The Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust and more became cultural touchstones for generations, inspiring people young and old to let their freak flag fly. Today, Happy Socks is celebrating Bowie and his characters by releasing a collection inspired by his most iconic looks.
Borrowing patterns and motifs from some of Bowie’s most famous outfits, the Bowie Collection offers eight daring designs full of colour, comfort and fun. Each pair of socks can be purchased individually — but for the true Bowie-heads, Happy Socks has created a series of gift boxes designed with the same out-of-this-world spirit as the socks themselves.
One of the minds behind this new collaboration is Paula Maso, Creative Director of Happy Socks . A self-described “colour junkie”, Maso has been bringing fresh, vibrant ideas to Happy Socks since she joined in 2016. Under her guidance, Happy Socks has grown and become even more colourful — for example, the brand now offers a fashion line called ‘Hysteria’ alongside an equally fun collection for a tailored look, ‘Dressed’. A natural innovator, Maso is full of big ideas for the brand — and to hear more of them, Schön! sat down for a conversation about the new collection and her experiences with Happy Socks.
You joined Happy Socks in 2016. What are the changes you’ve brought to the brand of which you’re most proud?
It’s been such a fun and happy ride since I started and a massive change in terms of growth of the company, which has been very special to experience. When I started, one of my first projects was the creation of ‘Hysteria’, our premium and trendier concept line. In parallel, I’ve been very tied to the repositioning of our ‘Dressed’ (similar to Hysteria in that it’s our tailoring line) and ‘Sneaker Socks’ concepts toward a more contemporary and playful vision, as well as making sure they are all better aligned with our core mission at Happy Socks: spreading happiness all over the world! Additionally, I am particularly proud of driving our in-house creative teams to be more experimental with our brand image, from our campaigns to our packaging, stores, website experience, etc. We’re actively working toward the next ten years of Happy Socks and creating an even happier and unique experience for our fans — and fans-to-be.
socks. Happy Socks
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socks. Happy Socks
socks. Happy Socks
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socks. Happy Socks
What about Happy Socks made you originally want to join the company?
I’m originally from Caracas, Venezuela, a colorful Latin country with a very unique mix of cultures and influences. When I arrived in Sweden, I fell in love with the Scandinavian aesthetic and its simplicity but felt that my personal style and taste didn’t exactly fit in. I’ve been a superfan of Happy Socks for a really long time, and finding out they were from Stockholm was like finding an oasis of colour. I immediately contacted one of the founders and asked how I could work for them, and the rest is history!
When you create a new collection, what are your considerations? As in, is there a set process that every new collection follows from idea to creation, or does it change from collection to collection?
We work with a set process in which we set a seasonal theme, colour stories and even themes within the theme to create special capsules or drops, but we also take pride in being free spirited, and that is reflected in our way of working. Ultimately, every collection ends up working a little differently than the previous one.
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socks. Happy Socks
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socks. Happy Socks
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How do collaborations like this Bowie collab embody the spirit of Happy Socks?
I need to begin by saying that I loooooooooved doing this collaboration! One of my favourites by far — we are super big fans of Bowie, from his music to his absolutely incredible and imaginative personal style, which was the inspiration for the collection, as each sock is a tribute to one of his iconic outfits. For us, this was the perfect match of values of imagination, creativity and self-expression.
Which Happy Socks have you been wearing lately?
I’m in love with our latest Sneaker Sock collection and the colour palette they have. Especially for these winter months, they also make the perfect boot socks. I’ve also brought back some oldies, and our cow print socks and simple red hearts are in heavy rotation at the moment!
What’s in the future for Happy Socks?
I can’t give away too much, but things are about to get a whole lot weirder — and happier!
Happy Socks Creative Designer Paula Maso wearing Happy Socks
Pick up the Bowie Collection on HappySocks.com — and be sure to follow Happy Socks on Instagram!
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