Wild Animals by Rop van Mierlo

There’s a rare kind of honesty in the work of Rop van Mierlo. His animals don’t roar, or pose, or obey the rules of anatomy. They flow, soft edges, loose colors, fur that seems to breathe. There’s life in his brushstrokes, but it’s a life that resists being captured. That resistance, that sense of something still wild, is what defines his world. It’s also what gave birth to his brand, Wild Animals, a collection that brings his paintings off the paper and into the everyday, onto walls, into wardrobes, and into homes that celebrate creativity and individuality.

 

Rop van Mierlo studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven, one of the most influential art and design schools in the Netherlands. It was there that he began developing his wet-on-wet technique, painting animals whose shapes blur and bleed with watercolor. The results are tender and expressive, less about representation and more about emotion. His goal was never to tame the image, but to let it move freely on the page, to embrace imperfection and unpredictability. That philosophy has become central to everything he creates.

 

The success of his self-published book Wild Animals in 2010, which went on to win a Dutch Design Award, marked the beginning of something larger. What started as a quiet artistic experiment became a visual language recognized around the world. Rop began expanding his practice beyond the page, creating prints, textiles, and objects that carried his playful energy into new forms. Eventually, his studio became the brand Wild Animals, where art, design, and craftsmanship merge with his distinctive humor and style.

 

At Clic, we’re drawn to that mix of spontaneity and refinement, art that feels alive but deeply intentional. The Rop van Mierlo prints we carry capture that energy beautifully, while his knitwear transforms it into something tactile, something you can live in. His alpaca wool sweaters are as expressive as his prints, but grounded in texture and touch. They’re made from soft alpaca wool, a natural fiber prized for its warmth and lightness. Unlike traditional wool, alpaca fibers are smoother and less itchy, giving them a silkier feel against the skin. They’re soft like cashmere but far more durable, making them pieces you can wear for years without losing shape or comfort. The sweaters come in all different silhouettes. A classic crewneck in blue with a butterfly, a vest in dark rose with a whale, or a duck cardigan. Whatever your knitwear preference is, wild animals have you covered. 

 

There’s a subtle luxury to these handmade sweaters, not the kind that shouts, but the kind that reveals itself in the details. Each piece is knit in small batches, finished with care, and designed to mirror the organic flow of Rop’s paintings. The fibers catch the light differently, adding depth to the soft hues and bold animal motifs. They’re luxury knit sweaters that feel both playful and elegant sweaters that hold warmth without weight, structure without stiffness.

 

What’s most striking about Wild Animals is how effortlessly it connects the worlds of art and fashion. Each garment feels like a continuation of Rop’s paintings, color fields transformed into fabric, brushstrokes into patterns, instinct into design. There’s personality in every thread, and yet the pieces are quietly wearable, blending into daily life while carrying the energy of contemporary art.

 

His work also extends beautifully into interiors. The modern art prints for home are instantly recognizable, loose, expressive, and full of movement. When you Hang the Duck, Bear or Squirrel print on a clean wall, they bring warmth and wit to a space, sparking conversation without overpowering it. Like his sweaters, the prints balance wildness with control, each one perfectly imperfect.

 

As the season turns colder, Wild Animals feels especially right. The sweaters wrap you in a kind of artistic comfort, warmth that comes not only from the alpaca wool clothing, but from the story behind it. They’re as functional as they are beautiful, ideal for layering, gifting, or simply living in. For those searching for unique holiday gifts, these pieces are deeply personal, offering something far beyond the ordinary. A Rop van Mierlo print or a luxury knit sweater carries with it a sense of artistry and thought, a reminder that even in the quietest moments, creativity can surround us.

 

At Clic, we’ve always believed in collecting brands that speak a visual language, where design and emotion meet. Wild Animals embodies that spirit. It stands perfectly alongside our selection of artists and designers who blur the lines between art and lifestyle. Each piece feels at home among our curated world, expressive, tactile, and timeless. Whether displayed as art or worn as a second skin, Wild Animals captures what Clic has always stood for: the beauty of living with art in every form.