G-Star RAW launches The Art of RAW
A new platform for young design talent to create art pieces with denim waste
21st April 2022 – G-Star RAW has created denim art pieces since its start, with art and design being a strong part of their DNA. In 2022 the brand is launching a new art platform: The Art of RAW. Collaborating with various international award-winning design talents such as Teun Zwets, Athena Gronti, Lenny Stöpp, Hozan Zangana, Nienke Sikkema, Iwan Pol and Pien Post.
The talents of the future
Continuing in their quest to push creative boundaries, G-Star RAW is collaborating with multiple young creatives on a brand-new series of art objects. In line with the brand’s responsible initiatives, each artist has been given the freedom to experiment using denim waste, creating unique pieces within their own disciplinary whilst upcycling materials.
Introducing: Teun Zwets
The first designer to take part is Teun Zwets (1992). Graduating from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2020, he immediately won the Kazerne Award and hasn’t looked back since. His design strategy? Just start to create on the spot – then something will come out of it. For The Art of RAW he made the furniture object ‘Denim Living’. Starting with a chair prototype, Teun initially built a metal frame as a base. To add strength he layered denim waste piece by piece, eventually laminating the fabric with a binder to make it solid. The finished furniture object featured a lamp, cupboard and chair in one, creating a distinctly unique art piece.
“I was honored when G-Star asked me to work on this project but also really excited because I hadn’t worked with denim much before! Experimenting and trying new techniques are always a part of my process. First I made a prototype then played around with the denim, finally creating the unique furniture piece – Denim Living.” – Teun Zwets
Over the coming year, there will be monthly collaborative projects from many young designers who inspire G-Star today. From glass artistry and textile design to sculpture and ceramic art, multiple artistic avenues will be explored whilst utilizing the material at G-Star’s core – denim.
There is no limit to what denim can do
With a strong dedication to craftsmanship, G-Star RAW have continuously explored the endless possibilities of denim. Over the years, various abstract denim art pieces have been created, including the RAW Denim tutu created in lockdown for the Dutch National Ballet.
The first Art of RAW collaboration with Teun Zwets launches on April 12th 2022. Every month a new collaboration will launch on the G-Star RAW social channels.
About G-Star RAW
Since 1989, G-Star RAW has pushed the boundaries of denim design, manifesting its own vision of the future by introducing “luxury denim” for the streets through pioneering styles. Hardcore Denim is the philosophy that expresses the brand’s obsession with denim; the cloth, the craft and the history. It pushes G-Star to invent, explore and take craftsmanship to another level – down to the smallest detail – and with a strong belief that there is no limit to what denim can do. With innovation, sustainability and creativity at its core, the brand pursues to define the next generation of denim with respect for people and planet.
About Teun Zwets Teun Zwets (1992) is a young product designer based in the Netherlands. He graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2020 and won the Kazerne Award in the same year. His creations are made on the spot with most of the time waste material.