LONDON — John Skelton has been named cultural and creative director of EBIT, a clothing brand founded by Simon Whitehouse that aims to spark conversations about mental health.
EBIT, which stands for Enjoy Being in Transition, taps the creativity of designers, musicians and artists and works across different mediums, including gaming.
Skelton’s appointment marks his return to the fashion industry after a seven-year hiatus, during which he was recovering from mental health and substance abuse issues.
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”We’re not scared of being vulnerable,” said Skelton, referring to himself and Whitehouse. “I think that’s what we’re trying to get other people to do, and it’s not just limited to fashion.”
Skelton said both he and Whitehouse have been through depression and had suicidal thoughts. “And the one thing that we are both good at is speaking honestly about how we’re feeling,” said Skelton.
Skelton began his career in 2001 as Selfridges’ youngest buyer, later moving to Harrods and working as the store’s buying manager. In 2005, he became creative director of the e-commerce website Oki-ni. Four years later, he founded London retail store LN-CC.
The announcement coincides with EBIT’s spring 2025 collection release, which has been picked up by Selfridges, Modes, and Number 4.
Titled “I Love You,” the 50-piece capsule takes inspiration from Skelton and Whitehouse texting their friends to say they love them.
“The reason that the color story is blue and coral is because me and Simon have a similar way of texting people. I always send red heart [emojis] to everyone, and he sends blue ones,” said Skelton.
Before Skelton’s appointment, EBIT’s design collaborators included M/M (Paris), Glen Luchford, Michel Gaubert, Soo Joo Park, DJ John Digweed and Wilson Oryema.
Whitehouse and Skelton said that they plan to continue collaborating on future collections. The pair also said they are exploring other categories.
Whitehouse has held a variety of chief executive officer roles, at the creative agency Art Partner, the communications agency Reference Studios, and the now-shut sustainability consultancy Eco-Age. He served as CEO of JW Anderson from 2014 until 2017.
Earlier in his career, he worked with labels including Matthew Williamson, Diesel Black Gold and DKNY.
