- Date
- 19 FEBRUARY 2024
- Author
- GLORIA MARIA CAPPELLETTI
- Image by
- MAURO MAGLIONE
- Categories
- Fashion
EBIT Unveiled: Simon Whitehouse on Fashion, Community and Mental Health Advocacy
Dive deep with us, RED-EYE readers, into the visionary world of Simon Whitehouse, a luminary in the creative industry whose latest venture, EBIT™, stands at the intersection of fashion, art, and the imperative conversation around mental health.
Simon, with a prestigious lineage that includes leadership at JW Anderson, Art Partner, Eco-Age, and Reference Studios, has turned his gaze towards a deeply personal mission: to illuminate the complexities of mental health through the lens of fashion and community.
EBIT™, which stands for Enjoy Being in Transition, cleverly repurposes the financial acronym Earnings Before Interest & Tax into a mantra for continuous personal and collective evolution. It's a project that marries the rebellious spirit of British Factory Records rave culture with a profound message of awareness and empathy towards mental health. This initiative is not just an ode to the unscripted creativity of the ‘80s rave scene, celebrated for its in-the-moment offline vivacity, but it's also a narrative-rich platform where fashion becomes a vehicle for dialogue and understanding about mental health.
In this interview we promise to shed light on the ways EBIT™ is not just challenging the fashion industry's status quo but is also fostering a community where empathy, collaboration, and the celebration of self-expression reign supreme.
Simon, could you share the inspiration behind the start of the EBIT™ collection? How did the concept come to you, and what were the pivotal moments or experiences that led you to develop this unique blend of art, fashion, and social consciousness?
This is the pure truth, I don't know if it's a wonderful story, but it's what really happened. My wife and I have an end-of-year ritual: we get a tattoo that symbolizes the past year. That year, though, she was pregnant and couldn't participate. I went alone to a tattoo studio in Brooklyn, on Smith Street, where I had the last words of my mother, who had passed away in October 2018, engraved. I felt those words had become a part of me.
After the tattoo, I went to the usual pub, the Smith Street Social, and ordered a pint of Guinness. Sitting there, a sentence flashed through my mind: "The most profitable brands will all be guided by their moral compass." I don't know why it came to me, but I have OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and when something sticks in my head, I can get stuck on it. This can make me extremely productive for hours.
Sitting with my pint, I asked the bartender for paper and a pen and started writing that phrase, repeating it as we did in school to not forget. This was the beginning of EBIT™. In the following days, I couldn't stop thinking about that phrase and what it meant. I reflected on the meaning of "deep brands" and morality in the fashion industry. I thought about brands with a purpose, like Patagonia for the environment or Gabriela Hearst, a friend committed against climate change. These brands have an ethical goal, in tandem with aesthetics. Projects and brands with a social purpose, not only a profit one.
Given that EBIT™ stands as a collection deeply rooted in ethical and social values, can you elaborate on the story behind the name 'EBIT'? How did this name come to symbolize the collection's commitment to values, and what significance does it hold in conveying the essence of your brand?
Then I started thinking about "EBIT", that is a financial term that many are unfamiliar with, but it's universal. When you're CEO, you learn that profit and loss result from costs and revenues. I began to wonder how many decisions are made based on profit rather than people or the planet.
I found the idea of leaving the acronym "EBIT" as something that could mean everything and nothing quite interesting: everybody is tired, each brand is trying, etc. Then the name "EBIT" Enjoy Being in Transition was born as a play on words: to be fun, to be well, to be in transition. This name emerged in the early months of the brand's development. My personal mission is to align my values with mental health. It's something very visceral and intuitive for me, as my brother has suffered from serious mental issues for 30 years, and I myself have lived through deep depression and had suicidal thoughts in 2009.
I've always spoken openly about these experiences and advocated for vulnerability. Thus, the idea of creating something with a moral compass and a purpose that could be an example of good capitalism came from a reflection on the financial acronym "EBIT" and the mental state we find ourselves in, with anxiety and thought streams.
Then the pandemic arrived. Bobbi was born, and I had time to reflect. I thought about when I was happy and pure, as a teenager in Manchester, and began to feel nostalgic for that time. With all the Black Lives Matter movement and division in society, I thought the world needed a metaphorical "ecstasy pill," reflecting on a time when people rebelled the system, and against hate and division.
EBIT™ is a postmodern reference to that time, and that's why music is so important to us.
We have the idea of music mixes, not just playlists. Actual dopamine releasing 90 minute continuous music mixes. EBIT™ has become a hub for artistic projects and collaborations that are now becoming commercial. We started with virtual projects and in Web3, like "Yellow Trip Road," [E022] which explores depression and suicidal ideation, co-creative directed with Soo Joo Park. We also created digital money and have been pioneers in this field. The exclusive music was provided by Johnny Jewel and Michel Gaubert.
I see that your project places significant importance on collaboration and sharing, which aligns with your openness about personal experiences. It appears you seek individuals who can align their talents with your values. Is the EBIT™ collection the result of co-creation between you and a diverse team, and do these collaborations manifest in the designs of the clothing?
Someone referred to it as a collective, which I adopted because I was unsure what to call it. Initially, I didn't want any formal structure; I was inspired by Factory Records, who had a policy that all art belonged to the artists and everyone was free to leave whenever they wished. I wanted to embrace that spirit. We have various people contributing, including designers from prominent design companies, who work with us discreetly, one of which is a major firm in Paris. I'm grateful for their collaboration, which has turned the collection into a platform.
From a product and collection standpoint, we aim to maintain consistency, which applies to the music as well. We have two consistent elements: the music mixes, which M/M (Paris) curate the cover images for, and the product line. M/M (Paris) also created the overall visual identity of EBIT™. The music mixes are released not on a strict schedule, but when we feel there's a concept or idea worth sharing, like the color preferences mixes [E033] we did last September, as a comfort source for the fashion community returning from August holidays and direct into the September fashion marathon.
Our product is luxury casual wear, all made in Italy, featuring a staple range designed for comfort. It's inclusive, not specific to any gender. We also have a small base color range that allows for collaborations, potentially introducing different colors or prints. This adds a more vivid aspect to the base range. I'm committed to paying the artists fairly and being transparent about it, as an example of good capitalism. Hence, the funding from the product line.
Could you share how this EBIT™ serves as a platform for mental health awareness or incorporates elements that are inspired by mental health advocacy and support?
The Spring Summer 24 is a foundational collection that serves as a blank canvas for future collaborations. My dream is to work with artists and creators who have personal or family experiences with mental health conditions. There's a powerful, unspoken understanding and solidarity among us.
I believe there's still much to do in terms of public understanding of mental health. People often struggle to grasp mental health issues compared to physical illnesses. By collaborating with those who have experienced these challenges, we can create something from a common ground and raise more awareness.
I reference a time in the 80s when people were away from algorithms and social media, which can be detrimental to mental health. The project may start small, but the goal is to connect with more people over time. I receive many heartfelt messages from industry professionals and others, which shows there's a clear need for what we're doing.
The fashion community is slowly changing, becoming more open to discussing mental health, especially after the pandemic, which has forced many to experience isolation. This has led to a greater willingness to share internal struggles. Regarding the collection, it's available online and the first two seasons are exclusively with MODES.
Could you tell me more about the Spring Summer 24 collection and how it specifically addresses or is inspired by mental health issues?
For the TRUE STORIES [E050] concept, which is the EBIT™ Spring Summer 24 collection, I've drawn inspiration from two people very close to me: my cousin Daniel Moors, who's like a brother to me, and Amina Ladymya, whom I've met through friends.
Daniel had a rebellious upbringing, regular escapism at the Hacienda nightclub in Manchester. Then he became an English teacher for many years before struggling with suicidal ideation. Amina is rising in the fashion industry. She recently signed with Next and is working with brands like Vuitton and Chanel, as well as doing humanitarian work. She grew up in a hospital in Senegal where her parents were doctors, surrounded by both physical and mental health patients. I was fascinated by this intersection, and felt the true stories of Amina and Daniel could cocoon and envelope the debut range.
TRUE STORIES [E050] it's an art form of the short story, the opposite of a social media caption, with 3,000 words that demand to be read. I appreciate the few who take the time to read these stories. These parallel true stories of Amina and Daniel make it impossible to look at the pictures without seeing the human beings behind them. I love things with depth.
We see that fashion serves not just as a form of expression but as a tool for fostering unity. It's a canvas that allows us to project our identity and, at the same time, envelops our vulnerabilities, acting much like cocoons. These garments offer more than mere protection; they provide a silent form of solidarity, wrapping us in shared experiences and unspoken understanding. I am immensely proud of Amina and Daniel for their bravery in sharing their stories, infusing our unique concept with their essence. Their openness transforms these garments into cocoons of personal and collective stories, strengthening our community's fabric and showcasing the transformative power of fashion when intertwined with genuine human experiences.
Could you reflect on the collaboration between EBIT™ and THE DEMATERIALISED for the ‘Yellow Trip Road’ metaverse experience, that you mentioned earlier, and the 'Spectrum of Footwear [E010]' collection launched in 2021 and 2022, which merged virtual art with fashion to spotlight mental health and empathy? With a portion of the proceeds supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Autistic Society, did these virtual projects inspire you to further integrate physical and digital ('phygital') elements in your design philosophy, particularly in addressing social themes?
You know why I'm obsessed with the virtual? It's very utopian. I believe that one day, people like my brother, who have no life, can have a life, as they possibly will be able to engage through their avatar. People who have social dispositions, who are not comfortable to walk into places, who have senses or speech impediments. You know, all of these things. I feel like there's going to be a new world of opportunity once the technology is really arriving. You know what I mean? However, right now, medical institutions can be conservative, and it's hard to find those willing to experiment with new technologies like virtual reality.
I'm not currently working on virtual projects because of the NFT trend, but I find the communities experimenting with it to be open-minded and engaging. Looking ahead, EBIT™ might once again undergo a flux transition from physical to digital or even embrace a phygital approach, always remaining in a state of transition and open to innovation. Enjoy being.
