We had the great pleasure of working with legendary stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson to add our socks to the Torishéju show at the 2024 Paris Fashion Week. We also took the time to sit down with her and pick her brain about fashion and—of course—socks!

The Torishéju Spring/Summer 25 show is called Les Nefs de Feu, based on an absolutely mad painting by Hieronymous Bosh depicting the chaos of a shipwreck. When I saw the pieces from the collection, immediately I knew we needed to style this shoot with a sense of frenzy. As if our women and men were fleeing—rushed, and putting their shoes on before their socks then forcing their delicate pumps and court shoes through, fraying the ends and wearing holes in the toes and heels until their socks become leg warmers.

Happy Socks isn’t afraid to break the rules and neither is Torishéju! Happy Socks emphasizes color and pattern to tell their stories and Torishéju relies on texture—merging the two worlds creates a dynamic fusion. And dynamism is exactly what every stylist wants. We ended up using black and white socks in the show because those classic colors are foundational but never basic—they are the building blocks of the whole. It's how you manipulate them that brings the magic!

I love to style crew socks which read as quite sporty in my opinion with very feminine footwear like a classic cap toe pump or a ballet flat. It’s a way to subvert intention and do something unexpected.

My go-to socks for a busy day are a bright hue or brilliant pattern because they instantly bring vibes to a more casual and comfortable look, and if it’s a work day there is a 99.9% chance that I am wearing jeans!