Introducing EBIT™, The Brand Putting Mental Health First

There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns caused mental strain on populations around the world. In 2020, psychiatrists reported that, due to coronavirus-related deaths, financial strains caused by job losses, and isolation, led to increased anxiety and depression among Britons. It was out of the isolation of lock that Simon Whitehouse founded his label EBIT™ (Enjoy Being in Transition, and on Mental Health Day was ready to release his inaugural S/S 24 collection.

Dubbed TRUE STORIES [E050], Whitehouse’s personal project was created in an exclusive partnership with MODES in Paris and Milan. The collection’s look book stars Senegalese model and artist Amina Ladymya and Daniel Moors, an English teacher in Italy. In lieu of traditional models, Whitehouse chose Ladymya and Moors to share their mental health struggles.

Ladymya who grew up with doctors as parents, witnessed first-hand the importance of empathy towards those struggling with their mental health. Similarly, Moors experienced first-hand the negative impact of pandemic isolation on his mental health which led to suicidal ideations.

As part of the look book photographed by Mauro Maglione, both Ladymya and Moors share their deeply personal struggles with mental health as a way to break the stigma that has long surrounded the topic. More than just a showcase of garment design, EBIT™’s inaugural collection hopes to start an ongoing dialogue on the complexities of mental health within the fashion industry.

‘Fashion can be an incredible medium to build community and belonging. Clothes can cocoon our vulnerabilities, creating a silent solidarity. I am so touched and proud of Amina and Daniel for sharing their stories in this unique concept, and proud to partner with Aldo Carpinteri and the team at MODES to give it a home’, explains founder Simon Whitehouse.

As for the garments, EBIT™’s debut range is defined by gender-neutral, casual styles, including oversized jumpers, and camp-collar shirts splashed with vibrant graphic prints. Throughout the collection, it's the oversized cocooning silhouette that adds a degree of protection and comfort that's at the heart of the brand's ethos. While mental health is the core focus, the brand's aesthetic is attributed to virtual fashion, streetwear, music, subcultures and it's family of creative collaborators including Michel Gaubert, Soo Hoo Park, Wilson Oryema and DJ John Digweed.

EBIT™’s S/S 24 collection will be available exclusively in Modes boutiques in January 2024.