Pinkorange meets..
Kick van Doorn

You do a lot of different things

My parents were both quite artistic, and I grew up with a lot of creative people around me. Bringing people together is something I’ve always done and gives me a lot of energy. I started with a clothing company called Dobro, for which I also did the photography. Eventually I started to do more shoots for other companies too, which also resulted in Skandl. Skandl is a branding & communication company, and also a facilitator of different creatives. 

Bringing creatives together is something that seems to be an important thing for you

It is. I like the feeling of making something from nothing. I also don’t believe in competition, but believe that collaboration between creatives can elevate their work. Recently we started Yusu, a coffee place. Although there are hundreds of coffee bars in Amsterdam, we work together with other creatives, artists and clothing companies to give it its own identity. To make Yusu a welcoming place, we try to be inclusive in our food (for example Surinamese patties or Brazillian cheese bread), in our music, the people who work at Yusu, etc. 

How do you keep your own identity in this process?

When working together with different creative parties, it’s a challenge to think of your own identity. However, for me this is the most important part of working together. When you start a project you have to do good research on the parties you are working together with. Most of the time I work with a companion to keep it more clear. At Skandl for example, it took us one year to build our identity by hosting podcasts and DJ-shows. Before you promote yourself to others as a facilitator, you have to make sure your company has a clear identity. 

Connect with Kick
@kickvandoorn
- Skandl
- Yusu