Fun, youthful and a little cheeky – that is how James Gold, co-founder of Skinnydip London, describes the accessories brand that has taken Instagram by storm and is loved by celebs such as Miley Cyrus.

Quirky iPhone cases in the shape of prawn cocktail crisps, covered in glitter or printed with a unicorn motif as well as clutch bags with slogans like Liquid Sarcasm is what catapulted Skinnydip London to the forefront of the accessory market since its launch in 2011.

The brand’s secret to success? Always being innovative, keeping tabs on emerging trends and reinterpreting them into famous Skinnydip designs.

After finishing his degree in law, the then 25-year-old James Gold (above) opted to change paths and pursue a career in the fashion industry. A decision that is a family tradition, as Gold and his brother, Skinnydip co-founder Richard, are already the third generation of the family to be working in fashion.

Along with Lewis Blitz, they form the founding trio, represented in Skinnydip’s logo – a triangle. They run the company together to this day, in a fun and joyful manner, as James Gold reveals to SHIFT.

What led you to launch Skinnydip London?

Following Apple’s release of the original iPhone, my brother Richard Gold, best friend Lewis Blitz and I couldn’t understand why the only cases available on the market were either black, white or grey. We believed that a fashion conscious female would want a case for her phone that appealed to her sense of style and before us, nobody was offering this. We saw a real gap in the market in making tech fashionable and selling to high street retailers. This saw the beginning of Skinnydip London in 2011 as a way of offering something different to accessorise your iPhone.

What is your relationship with the other co-founders, Richard Gold and Lewis Blitz? And what inspired you to found Skinnydip together?

I always look forward to going in on Monday morning because I work with my two closest friends. As partners not only do we enjoy working with each other but we also all bring something different to the table – Lewis is the most creative and a brilliant problem solver and Richard heads up all our retail concessions. My love for making sales meant that it was only natural that I look after this side along with exploring new business ventures.

How did the name come about?

The idea was to create a lifestyle brand that stood for being fun, different and a little cheeky, all of which I think the name Skinnydip reflects. Also, being very young when we first set up and not wanting to take business so seriously, we also liked how the name was a little risqué and went against what a traditional name for a company would be.

Humour and sarcasm seem to be a big part of the brand and its designs. How important is humour to you?

It reflects who our team is as individuals which is then reflected back into the brand. Skinnydip is a fun and humorous brand and on the corporate side, our office is a fun and humorous place so each compliments one another. For me personally, I love working in an informal, fun atmosphere where everyone can express their opinion and be creative. I feel this atmosphere is then manifested in not only the products but the tone and voice of the brand across all channels.

Skinnydip’s designs are very Instagram friendly and you even use emoji motifs as a pattern on your products. Was that done on purpose?

With our target customer hugely active on Instagram, it was key for us to use this platform to relate and engage with her. Therefore, some of our designs reflect the online social world, and we place huge importance on our social media presence.

You collaborate with a lot of young British designers. Why did you decide to do that?

It was very important for Skinnydip to have a meaningful brand ethos which is that it’s a proud supporter of young British talent. We chose this as our ethos having graduated from university at a time when opportunities for young people were so scarce. We also feel that an ethos is meaningless unless you actively do something about it, which is why we are always looking at not only young designers, but artists, photographers, DJ’s and musicians to partner up with and work together.

How has the company grown since its launch?

It’s been a really exciting journey. Originally we were wholesaling our ranges into high street fashion retailers, but since launching in Topshop in 2013, we have become predominately retail-based with over 100 concessions selling in over 60 countries alongside our website. We have also opened stores in Fouberts Place, just off Carnaby Street and Neal Street in Seven Dials, with plans for international expansion in 2016. Alongside our concessions with Topshop, we also sell into other leading global retailers including Selfridges, Harrods and Asos.

We’ve grown from the three of us, who founded Skinnydip and used to do everything, to a fantastic team of over 50 people with offices in the UK, US and China. Having started with iPhone cases and headphones we are ever expanding and now producing over 350 styles per season across a wide range of fashion accessories including bags, purses, backpacks and travel accessories.

Images courtesy of Skinnydip

Published 04/02/2016 at shiftlondon.org