It’s making magic on the mountains with spectacular eyewear designs, but how does new winter sports brand Skoggl push the boundaries and where will it go next? Launched in 2024 after eight years development, the small family-run business stands out as a rarity for being British in a sector that’s dominated by international brands and for its innovation weaving together performance and streetwear statement style. With a choice of five eye-catching bold and playful patterns, including favourite the snow crystal, these are printed directly on to the googles’ lenses without compromising the skier’s or snowboarder’s vision.
The company’s online ‘create your own’ builder lets customers personalize, mix, match and refresh every aspect with different frame colours. Easy swap magnetic lenses come in Sunny Skies and tinted All-Weather options with UV 400 light protection and durability down to minus 30 degrees while interchangeable helmet-compatible straps ensure further safety and comfort. Frustrated by the lack of individuality in ski eyewear, entrepreneur Ben Jayson saw how fashion and function were beginning to merge for activity-loving younger generations. “All googles looked the same, we wanted to find something that matched the energy of style-conscious riders,” he explains.
After a long spell prototyping new shapes and materials and investing £30,000 in the concept he was joined by his sister and film industry professional Anna Mimi. A manufacturing partner in China sources and prints the lenses employing a polycarbonate cellulose printing process with patent protection expected for the trade-marked product by 2028. Components are then dispatched to the Jaysons’ home in Penrith Cumbria for assembly with the family’s help in their barn which also acts as a temporary warehouse.
“Our production structure and management are very efficient so we can keep our goggles competitively priced at £75 each,” declares Anna Mimi. Product sales are direct-to-consumer and following some smart social media marketing go to customers in Australia, Europe and the US as well as the UK.
Now aiming for a £544,000 turnover in its second year, Skoggl is in the midst of a £103,000 pre-seed growth raise that is tax-relief SEIS investor approved. Success has inspired the Jaysons to explore new applications. Parents’ requests for a children’s range will be met next year and another for the off-road motocross crowd who favour pirate-style skull and crossbones patterns. Further funding backing from a mentor investor with sales experience would help Skoggl with more export pushes in Canada and Europe. And the next plan is to develop other sports and branded apparel for year-round relevance. After taking the plunge with a radical concept the Jaysons are having the ride of their lives and now they’re poised for a peak performance. www.skoggl.com
