Interview
Wild Animals at Couverture
We sat down with the founder of Wild Animals to talk all things untameable.
This May, we are hosting a Wild Animals pop-up in store from the 7th to the 17th. On opening day, Rop van Mierlo will be here in person to meet you, with exclusive products available across clothing, accessories, and homeware.
The Dutch designer first developed the idea for his graduation project at the Design Academy Eindhoven, exploring the human urge to shape and control the world. What began as a conceptual book about wildness and wet-on-wet painting has since grown into an internationally recognised label, with collaborations spanning Marni, Hermès, and beyond. His work lives at the intersection of art and product, where process and chance are just as important as the finished piece.
How did the idea for Wild Animals first come about, and what drew you to the theme of untameable creatures?
For my graduation project at the Design Academy Eindhoven, I worked on a project I titled Bonsai and Poodles: a book about the human urge to shape and control the world. I had the thought that when you draw an animal, you never actually depict a wild animal because you capture it in lines. For the project, I wanted to paint animals over which I, as the creator, had no control. As a child, I learned to paint on wet paper, which I always found terrible because the ink ran everywhere. I thought, if I paint that way and have no control during the process, I will conceptually end up with a wild animal.
At what point did you feel your paintings could exist beyond paper and become something wearable or functional?
I think that is a process that unfolded organically. It started with the paintings, which I turned into a book. To me, the book was the work.
I self-published the book and it was well received internationally, and I also noticed that I sold a lot to designers and artists worldwide, which led to Marni also having the book. The first collaboration I did was with Marni. They asked me to do an artist collaboration. I remember thinking at the time that it was strange to imagine people walking around with the paintings. After that, several more collaborations followed (Head Porter, Hermès, Young Marco), and the animals came to life on more and more products.
What's your favourite piece you've ever created, and why does it stand out to you?
Hard question. Favourites change a lot through the years. The duck t-shirt is very special because it resonates with so many people. It is the t-shirt that is in the highest demand. The duck is also one of my favourite animals; besides finding it a funny animal, I find the colour combination of the mallard duck beautiful. The snake long-sleeved shirt is also well done. What is good about it is that it is a digital print on a black background, without first printing an opaque layer of white. The snake is transparent, so it doesn't lie on the fabric but is subtly integrated into the item. Of the knitwear pieces, I always find the crocodile and duckling very strong because of the bright colour schemes.
What draws you to have Wild Animals in independent concept stores like ours?
When I look at how we do business at W A, we focus on building relationships where personal contact really matters. What makes independent stores like yours special is that your selections reflect personal taste and careful curation. The interaction with customers in boutiques and independent shops often feels genuine - something that seems to be disappearing in many places today.
What experience do you hope someone has when they encounter Wild Animals in a store like ours?
I hope they are moved by the work in any kind of way.
Wild Animals started from a conceptual question: how to depict something untameable. When did that idea transform into something more intuitive and playful?
This is also something that has grown over the years. Wild Animals, the label, is a place where a lot of experimentation can take place. Besides the fact that painting the animals started as a concept, it quickly became clear that the technique and the world that emerged had more to offer than just painting the animals. Within W A, we try to push the boundaries of what is possible with the paintings and their interpretations — in material, technique, and concept — without losing the original idea. In a way, it is also a playing field to let all ideas take shape in a product.
At the moment, we are even developing items where the wet-on-wet technique is no longer even part of the process.
Collaboration has played a role in the project - what makes a partnership feel authentic to Wild Animals?
In the best collaborations, you arrive at a better product together, or you manage to combine two strengths. Usually, you intuitively feel right away if there is a match. Then collaborations often go well without too much effort.
Recently, I let myself be tempted into a few collaborations that went exactly the opposite way. So we tightened the reins a bit there to be able to stay closer to ourselves again.
What does "wild" mean to you today, and how do you hope people experience it through your work?
To me, being wild is being free, within (or just beyond) the boundaries you experience yourself or that nature indicates.
Are there themes or animals you haven't explored yet but hope to in the future?
Yes, 100%. Besides the fact that there are still so many animals I would like to paint, there are also many other themes I want to explore in depth, such as flowers and patterns. But there are so many more ideas than time. I'm going back to work. Bye!
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