Bold is in. Bold prints in an all-new print collection designed with talented artists from across the globe? Even better.
We were stoked to recently collaborate with South African artist, Kim van Vuuren, to bring a whole new print collection to the Mons party. Together, Kim worked with our fearless leader and Creative Director, Hannah Acland, to create a bold print inspired by summit missions and the art of nature.
Oh, we’ve already said too much. Read on for the inside scoop from Hannah and Kim themselves.
Hannah Acland:
Morning, Kim. How are you? Did you have a good sleep?
Kim van Vuuren:
Morning Hannah! I did, thank you.
Hannah Acland:
We’re just out here by the lake - this is our home turf back here, Lake Wānaka in behind. I thought we'd just take a nice call sitting by the lake with you. You're in Cape Town, are you?
Kim van Vuuren:
I'm in Cape Town, yeah. It looks like it’s the same time of day! We just had a very beautiful sunrise. Behind me there is Table Mountain.
Hannah Acland:
Ahh, epic, how cool is that? We've almost got similar-looking skies. That's kind of what I found so interesting about reaching out to you, being on the other side of the world. All we needed to do was flick a couple of emails back and forth, and now we have this really cool Mons collection. And I'm talking to you literally on your morning, my evening.
Kim van Vuuren:
I know, and we're wearing the same shirt? We made this! Wooh.
Hannah Acland:
It's crazy. Do you know, I was scrolling back through my emails, and I found the first e-mail I sent to you was this time two years ago in 2024. We were starting our new summer collection, and I was really interested in finding an artist. I found you, and oh man, I just loved the colours and the abstract organic forms. I thought it would be so cool as an all-over print on a shirt.
Kim van Vuuren:
Amazing. I actually have a background in textile design, creating step-and-repeat silk screen patterns, and now I have these beautiful collaborations to show for it. It's quite interesting how everything unfolded in my life, I never thought when I was younger that it would actually lead to all of this, so that's quite amazing.
Hannah Acland:
And you're a multimedia artist, right? A graphic designer, painter, and I've seen you've been experimenting with AI and more digital style art?
Kim van Vuuren:
Yeah, I feel like I need to adapt all the time. I'm always changing, especially because I've moved around so much. I tend to just kind of go through this metamorphosis every couple of years. I only started painting when I actually moved to Barcelona. I was surrounded by so much graffiti and street art and painters, I‘d never actually seen that before. It just happened.
Hannah Acland:
I was so drawn to your use of bold colour. With Mons, we really lead with a lot of colour. It‘s such a fun form of expression, especially for gear you're wearing in the outdoors.
Okay, the collaboration process. I think because we're both graphic designers, we had a common language between us to be able to move the process forward. But something that was really important for me was to make sure that we kept the integrity of your ideas and your thoughts around colour, and kept it quite raw and true to you. How did you find the collaboration?
Kim van Vuuren:
Yeah, I like that. It's always great to work with a brand that allows me to have that creative freedom, so that was really fun. Looking back at it now, it was quite an organic process. Going from raw sketches through to the digital process, it was so smooth, because of that trust.
Hannah Acland:
You're right, there is a trust in that. So what inspired the design? This shirt, for example.
Kim van Vuuren:
The landscape inspires everything I do, especially thinking about the concept of the summit. It was about capturing that movement in between. The pattern on the print has this element of movement and flow between each shape. It’s about capturing that real essence of the human spirit within nature. And I mean, it's so much more than just a print or a logo on a cool shape. It's about capturing what it means to be in the outdoors. I'm very much inspired by the raw beauty of South Africa. I'm actually a small-town girl - my dad was a flower farmer, so I grew up on a flower farm in the mountains.
Hannah Acland:
I love that - you're from a flower farm and I'm from a sheep farm. For me, the team has often asked, why work with artists? Personally, I love art, design, music, and culture equally as much as action and adventure sports. And as a massive believer in natural fibres and moving away from plastics, the opportunity to use and work with artists and designers as a vehicle to share creative stories and creativity through natural fibres is super exciting to me. Why do you think Mons Royale is a good fit for you?
Kim van Vuuren:
I think partly because we're both ’other side of the world’ people. When I lived in Europe and would say I’m from South Africa, people would kind of freak out, because they'd never really met somebody in the flesh from South Africa. It’s so nice to represent my country, it’s really special. Then there’s also the activewear aspect. I've always been drawn to streetwear and activewear. I always felt that was the world I wanted to be a part of if I were designing clothing.
Hannah Acland:
In a world where everything is so fast fashion and everything is produced so quickly, it's hard to know what's real and what's not. And I think in the world of so much fake shit, it's just so important to be real. It’s not just about looking our best.
Kim van Vuuren:
Yeah, I think we both definitely share a passion for nature and the outdoors. It's always been really important to me to work with people who align with my beliefs and my goals, especially around sustainability.
Hannah Acland:
Well, I think we're good, Kim. Before we wrap up, I do just want to say that it has really been so much more than a collaboration. It's connecting art and apparel through nature, and I think that is a pretty special thing. So I wish you an awesome morning. You can go and have a cup of coffee, and I’m going to go have dinner.
Kim van Vuuren:
Amazing. Thank you so much, that was so fun. Bye!
