An abundance of creative energy and a deep interest in design and fashion brought Kylian van der Have to Mublo as creative director. It is his creative mastery and entrepreneurship that leave a unique mark on the collections and on the brand's identity.
“My goal is to be visually and emotionally seductive as a brand and to develop a business grounded in strong values.”
Kylian was born in 1988 in the Netherlands and grew up in Hulst, just on the border with Belgium in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. After a year at the University of Utrecht, he began studying Experimental Studio at the art academy in Ghent and a few years later obtained a Master's degree in Free Art at Sint-Lucas Antwerp.
In between his studies, Kylian worked as a fitter at Café Costume, where he first came into contact with textiles and where his interest in high-quality fabrics was born. His taste for Belgian fashion continued for a long time when Kylian ended up at one of the biggest fashion houses in Belgium, Ann Demeulemeester. Here he got the chance to grow in a versatile position in which he was responsible for the boutique, e-commerce and in-house media campaigns.
After eight years as Head of E-commerce at Ann Demeulemeester, Kylian felt it was time to spread his wings and pursue his great passion: quality, beautiful design. In collaboration with Belgian family business and textile manufacturer Annabel Textiles, Mublo was born; a synthesis of Belgian craftsmanship and creative entrepreneurship. “Both the history of this company and the culture of designing and producing quality products, together with my creative interest in interior, and in particular beautiful furniture, led to the founding of Mublo”.
“Mublo is unique because of the sum of the personalities both within us and among our partners. It is an international project of like-minded people in Europe, but with its roots in Belgian soil.”
As creative director, Kylian mainly maintains contact with the in-house design team on the one hand and the European producers on the other. “One of our core values at Mublo is without a doubt local craftsmanship. I have been able to see from the front row how much talent there is in Europe when it comes to furniture making. Often these are independent furniture makers or very small-scale manufacturers that we work with. I love to sit down with people and see what the possibilities are”.
Kylian describes Mublo's aesthetic as timeless, but in line with the zeitgeist. “In terms of style, we go for that typical Belgian simplicity: warm and sophisticated, but still accessible.” He gets his inspiration from a simple walk in the city as well as from magazines, books and the internet. “I find form and material infinitely interesting, so I am always looking for new ideas. I come into contact with raw materials, especially textiles, more often than I used to, but since I bought my own house this extends to tiles and wood, for example. The idea behind products and the composition of materials is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for me.”
