@destinshiro | quintverhaart.com
Inspired by the deceptive camouflage of the lionfish, Quint Verhaart created this eccentric collection as a metaphorical translation of the damage that both humans and the deadly invader wreak on the coral reef. A species with striking features and elegant frills, the lionfish represents unyielding beauty and deceptive danger that serves as a massive threat to our underwater ecosystem. Each shoe was made in collaboration with shoemaker René Van Den Berg. Lionfish fins are sponsored by Lionfish Snack Aruba & Jads Dive Center Aruba.
BASIC: If a genie were to grant you three wishes, what would they be?
VERHAART: I would wish for no more disease and suf-fering. It would be such a huge change for the world and our happiness in life. I would fulfill my second wish by equalizing the inequality between poverty and wealth, so that every person can enjoy life as much as everyone else. After all, we only live once.Lastly, I would wish to be surrounded by more nature in the cities, for all of the buildings and streets to be surrounded by packs of flowers, shrubs, and trees, instead of bricks and pieces of concrete. That would be the ideal living environment for me.
BASIC: What song always gets you in a good mood and what song makes you cry?
VERHAART: “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bob McFerrin is my favorite song of all time. It’s even Photographer OLIVIER MUL at Studio Mset as my alarm to wake up to! That wonderful moment when you gently wake up by people whistling to you, being told that everything will be fine and to just be happy. That makes me cheerful at any time of the day. The song never gets boring. On the other hand, the song “Kissing a Fool” by George Michael can make me more emo-tional because the lyrics in this song can have different meanings. It’s a song that lets me get carried away in my fantasy—romance, sadness, adventure—all depending on how I feel in the moment. But no matter what, listening to this song always touches me.
BASIC: Tell us about an experience that really drove your talent and overall career path.
VERHAART: The creativity in me has always run in my family. I grew up surrounded by tribal and contemporary art because my parents are collectors. My father is a packaging designer with multiple awards and my mother is a pastry chef. Together, with my sister, I often used to paint and clay during our spare time. That’s why my creative mind has always been stimulated to be busy and invent new things. In addition, I have gained great international experience within the fashion industry in New York City. I worked at Karolina Zmarlak and at fashion house Iris Van Herpen in Amsterdam. Both have influenced me through structured manage-ment, achieving goals, and the development of designs. This history has shaped me into who I am as a designer today and I have a lot more to offer in the future.
BASIC: What message would you like to share with the world about your brand? What does your brand stand for?
VERHAART: I am a womenswear fashion designer whose designs are inspired by elements that come from nature and contemporary artists. The concepts are based on natural problems that influence life on earth. With a strong background story and statement of awareness, my vision is to show the world the beauty and destruction nature has to offer.
