VOCAL FASHION: Marking World Bipolar Day on Sunday, EBIT, the purpose-driven clothing brand founded by Simon Whitehouse that aims to spark conversations about mental health, is dropping its fall 2025 collection.
Unveiled with campaign images fronted by activist model Rosie Viva and artist Joseph Awuah-Darko, who are both vocal about their bipolar disorder, the collection was created in tandem with British designer John Skelton, who was named cultural and creative director of EBIT last year.
Titled “Bipolar/Bicolor [E200],” the 50-piece unisex lineup is entirely bicolor with juxtapositions of taupe and beige, and navy and burgundy and filled with raw-cut denim and gabardine sportswear tops, as well as oversize textural knitwear. Cotton in the collection is organic and the line was Made in Italy.
“Real life human beings, such as Rosie and Joseph, are my heroes. The strength it takes to be openly vulnerable advocates around sensitive topics is a trait that I know provides solidarity to many people who may feel alone. That is the essence of EBIT,” Whitehouse said.
The selection of Viva and Awuah-Darko for the campaign — lensed by young talent Mauro Maglione and styled by Francesca Cisani — speaks to Whitehouse’s ambition to leverage fashion to raise mental health awareness.
Awuah-Darko, also known as Okuntakint, is a Ghanaian British artist known for the “Dear Artists” series of sticky notes and use of Excel spredsheets to track his bipolar disorder, allocating to every hour a color that represented how he was feeling at that moment in time.
A look from the EBIT fall 2025 collection.
Courtesy of EBIT
Viva is a model, TV host and mental health activist who was the subject of a 2023 Channel 4 documentary titled “Modeling Mania & Me.” After walking on the runways for marquee brands including Gucci and Saint Laurent, she went on to campaign for mental health, sharing her disorder in books including “Completely Normal and Totally Fine,” which is dropping in May.
Priced between 250 and 995 euros, the collection has been picked up by End. in the U.K. and Italy; The Number 4 in Kuwait; Nighthawks in Japan, as well as established partners such as Selfridges and Modes, among others.
EBIT, which stands for Enjoy Being in Transition, taps the creativity of designers, musicians and artists and works across different mediums for each of its drops. 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.
A look from the EBIT fall 2025 collection.
Courtesy of EBIT
Whitehouse launched EBIT in 2024 building on his knowledge of the fashion industry via his many executive roles. He most recently served as chief executive officer of Italian retailer Modes, a position he left to transition into an adviser role, as reported.
Prior to that, he helmed the Reference Studios communications agency for one year and was CEO of consultancy Eco-Age, following a three-year stint with the same title at Art Partner and, before that, at fashion house JW Anderson between 2014 and 2018. He has also worked with labels including Matthew Williamson, Diesel Black Gold and DKNY.