Happy Socks

Swedish brand Happy Socks bring their colurful and fun footwear to Fat Buddha Store. Launched in spring 2008 with a vision to spread happiness by turning an everyday essential into a colourful design piece. A rigid standard of ultimate quality, craftsmanship, and creativity. A philosophy brought to perfection by the Happy Socks collective of creators, most recently spotted in a 400-year-old shrieking red cottage among the cherry trees and berry bushes in a park located in the midst of Stockholm.

The word ‘socks’ is derived form loose-fitting slippers, called soccus in Latin, worn by Roman comic actors. The earliest sock models were made from animal skins wrapped around the foot and tied at the ankles. The Ancient Greeks wore socks of matted animal hair for warmth. The Romans also wrapped their feet with leather or woven fabrics. In the 5th century, the pious people of Europe wore socks called puttees as a symbol of purity. 500 years later, socks became a symbol of wealth among the nobility. The modern sock is either knitted or woven. They are designed to reduce resistance between the foot and footwear, protect footwear, provide comfort, be fashionable, and keep the feet warm. In cold environments, socks help retain or remove the moisture of the foot, minimizing the risk of frostbite.

Over the past few years Happy Socks have done a string of collaborations with some of the coolest brands and companys in the business which are listed below.

Barneys New York

For the 2009 holiday season, Happy Socks worked with Barney’s COOP on a set of exclusive colours. Barney’s is known for their innovative, stylish collaborations with breakout brands and Happy Socks fitted right in. The limited collection socks were available only at Barney’s and the collaboration was a unique take on the traditional footwear staple.

Be@rbrick

Happy Socks x Bearbrick Happy Socks were approached by Japanese legend company Medicom Toy Corp to design its very own version of the famous BE@RBRICK. They could not help but create the matching pair of socks. BE@RBRICK is a collectible toy designed and produced by the Japanese company MediCom Toy Incorporated, and sold in limited numbers. They are highly collectible, and predominantly collected by adults. As a result of their limited production, and the participation of artists, BE@RBRICKs are generally considered designer toys. In this collaboration, Happy Socks have designed an exclusive, creative and a colourful sock. The BE@RBRICK toy is designed as wearing this exclusive Happy Socks BE@RBRICK sock. Over at Fad Buddha store we have a great range of BE@RBRICK instore and online.

Colette and KesselsKramer

Paris super-store Colette and Kessels Kramer contacted Happy Socks to create an ultra limited series of socks for the store swap they organized between Colette in Paris and London’s KK Outlet. They took the best pairs of their Chapter TWO collection and mismatched them, creating new fun pairs: the right sock represents Colette and the left is for KK .

Giles Deacon for the Elton John Aids Foundation

Happy Socks by Giles Deacon for the Elton John AIDS Foundation - a limited edition box of seven pairs of crazy socks. Each sock featured a different design. Happy Socks teamed up with Giles Deacon and the Elton John Aids Foundation to make a great collaborative project and help bring notice to World AIDS Day while raising money for the foundation.

Globe-Trotter

This was a pairing made in heaven: Globe-Trotter and Happy Socks are partners – not in the sock making business – but in the display world. Globe- Trotter has been named Happy Socks’ official display partner for the US market. Not a bad deal for Happy Socks.

The Standard

Happy Socks teamed up with über cool Hotels The Standard for a different collaboration in each one of their locations. Two pairs per hotel: Downtown LA, Miami Beach, Hollywood and New York. Pairs were available in the mini-bar of all rooms.

Wong Wong

Designer Stephen Wong, head of Wong Wong and former Art Director of Helmut Lang Studios, created an exclusive World Cup 2010 collection for Happy Socks. “With inspiration sought from the world of football, the collection pays homage to the rich football culture of eight chosen nations from across the globe.”

Wood Wood

The cycling world gets another sock to commemorate Italy, arguably the world’s most passionate cycling nation. So who better to this than a Danish clothing line and a Swedish sock company? Together, Happy Socks and Wood Wood released the 2/3 CORSA sock which features green, white, and red stripes at the top of the sock.

We are very pleased to have this great company on board and making an appearance at Fat Buddha Store. Available instore and online now here!

Craig