Van Gogh Museum’s Marijn Veraart on how shared values fuelled a collaboration with Shoe Palace

Marijn, it’s our first time chatting for Brands Untapped, so before we dive into the exciting Shoe Palace collaboration, I wanted to find out more about you! What set you on the path to licensing? Was it always part of the plan?
I started my career in the fast-moving consumer goods industry and never really thought about licensing as a path. There wasn’t any study in licensing back then! So licensing wasn’t on my radar but I kind of ‘fell into it’ when I had the opportunity to join The Walt Disney Company Benelux as a Licensing Manager, overseeing Home Furnishing, Personal Care and Food. That was my first step into the world of licensing, and here I am, 26 years later, still passionate about it.

Amazing. For anyone new to how Van Gogh Museum approaches brand extensions, what are your ‘north stars’ when it comes to striking partnerships?
As a museum, it is our mission to inspire diverse audiences with the art and life story of Vincent van Gogh. We are always searching for new ways to tell the story of Vincent van Gogh’s life and show his art, letters and sketches from a new perspective. Therefore, the match between the values of the Van Gogh Museum, the works of Vincent van Gogh and the brand we collaborate with is very important to us.

You’ve recently embarked on a collaboration with Shoe Palace. What about them presented an exciting opportunity for the brand?
We visited the Shoe Palace store in Las Vegas during the Licensing Expo and were impressed by the in-store presentation and the collections. During our first meeting, Shoe Palace presented their brand profile which immediately resonated with Vincent’s story and the museum’s story.

How so?
Their vision to deliver a positive impact through community engagement is similar to our value of being connected with our audience. From the community, for the community, family focused, diverse and inclusive… All of these themes match our values very well. Furthermore, their consumer group is an interesting group to target for the museum.

There’s a number of strings that a licensee could pull on when it comes to Van Gogh. How did you both come to decide on what aspects of the brand to focus this collection on?
Shoe Palace was initially inspired by his art, but after sharing more about Vincent’s life, they were very much drawn to the life story of Vincent – inspired by his passion, drive and perseverance. But also, to learn more about his mental challenges, which unfortunately is still a very current topic. This is visible in the collection, where they used the ‘darker’ paintings as well as the light, colourful ones.

“These creative concepts are authentic and true to his heritage, yet modern and relevant.”

What were some key factors that went into ensuring this was a successful creative collaboration?
Shoe Palace did an amazing job in immersing themselves, not only in Vincent’s art, but also in his life story. They have truly put all their creative talent in translating this inspiration into a collection. And let’s not forget the inspiring style guide from Skew of course. Shoe Palace and Skew are both able to translate Vincent’s art and story into creative concepts that are authentic, true to his heritage, yet modern and relevant.

Absolutely. Good work Skew! Now, when you see what partners like Shoe Palace do with the Van Gogh brand, does it creatively ‘re-energize’ you and the team? Do you find the work of your licensees inspiring?
For sure! We get inspired by people who are inspired by Vincent! It shows us the relevancy of his work and also makes us look at his art from a different perspective. It’s very important to be inspired by creations from designers who are still a blank canvas; who have not worked with our brand already. It keeps us sharp, but also open minded, humble and amazed. Like seeing Vincent’s art for the first time again.

Great answer. Last question! What fuels your own creativity?
One of the sources of creativity for me comes from visiting fairs, expos and meeting new brands and companies. I also like to look behind the scenes in different industries and different companies, learning how others are approaching their work. And traveling abroad and being exposed to new environments, cultures, art, shops and people also fuel my ideas. It’s the exchange of thoughts and seeing how others approach opportunities and challenges that really inspire me. These experiences keep me energised and creative.

Thanks again Marijn!