We often feel down in the dumps when cold, wet weather sets in. Trust an entrepreneur to find a business opportunity in our universal misery! Viviane Jaeger and Emma Jane Parkes are two such entrepreneurs who are showing us how to make money from the weather. Squid London, their award-winning business idea, has revolutionised a boring city staple – the humble umbrella – into colour changing couture, bringing a bit of cheer to many a glum Londoner.
What is Squid London?
Squid London is a London-based design brand which designs and manufactures rainware. Very ordinary sounding, you say? Just wait until you see the extraordinary effects water has on Squid London’s remarkable products! Splash them with water, and they’re imbued with splashes of colour…how’s that for a unique way to brighten up a rainy day?
The brand’s hook is its revolutionary hydro-chromatic (colour changing) technology, made famous by the brand’s iconic flagship product, the ‘Squidarella’. Inspired by the artist Jackson Pollock, Jaeger and Parkes, London School of Fashion graduates, thought it’d be cool if clothes could change colour in the rain. When they won a Runners-up Prize for the Business Plan Deutsche Bank Award in their final year of college, they invested it in starting a business which produced colour-changing umbrellas (the Squidarella); based on a prototype they’d developed for a college project. Initially, they produced just 100 ‘London Skyline’ Squidarellas (see below). To their surprise, they were sold out in just ten days. That was in 2008. By 2010, they were selling 10 000 Squidarellas a year.
Since then, Squid London has branched out from the chameleon umbrella; now producing funky colour changing ‘Miss Squidolette’ shower curtains and rain capes. Squid London rainware is available through the online Squid London Shop, and at stockists throughout North America, Europe, Australia, Brazil and Japan. As far as this colourful business idea goes, it seems the sky’s the limit!
For more inspiration…
Check out these funky fashion umbrellas:
- Gumdrops – turn your rainy day upside down and enjoy the liquid sunshine
- Pare*Umbrela – stylish outfit meets stylish umbrella
- Bella Umbrella – specialising in vintage umbrellas.
- Image courtesy of Squid London
