Japanese designer Kodai Iwamoto is the latest designer to collaborate with G-Star RAW. Inspired by the historical connection between the Dutch and Japanese, Iwamoto created a lamp made from traditional washi paper and infused with waste denim fibers. In 2023, G-Star RAW launched its art platform, The Art of RAW. The platform allows young creatives to showcase the endless possibilities of denim by creating artistic objects from denim waste.

East meets West

During the 19th century, scraps of paper travelled from Japan to the Netherlands, mainly to be used as packing material for wrapping ceramics. The unusual composition and colour combination of these ukiyo-e prints inspired artists such as Vincent van Gogh. Kodai Iwamoto used the charm of paper as a starting point for his art object.

Iwamoto infused washi paper with denim fibers made by Japanese factory Igarashi Seishi to create a completely new material called “UNERI.” Shoji, traditional Japanese doors made from a circular wooden frame, a latticework framework, and washi paper, inspired the lighting object. This modern interpretation fuses traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. The Japanese name for the object translates to “expanding ocean waves.” This is due to the appearance of the denim fibers when mixed with the liquid paper.

Japanese design talent

Kodai Iwamoto (Japan, 1990) studied Product Design at Kobe University of Design and the École cantonale d'art de Lausanne (Switzerland). Iwamoto, who has his own studio in Tokyo and Kagoshima Prefecture, focuses on bringing together contradictions such as mass production and craftsmanship, Eastern and Western culture, product design and traditional art. The designer has won numerous awards, including the Young Japanese Design Talent Award from ELLE Décor Japan and the Rising Talents Award 2022 from Maison & Objet.

Previous collaborations

G-Star RAW has been creating denim art pieces since its inception, with art and design at the core of its DNA. Continuing its quest to push creative boundaries, G-Star RAW has collaborated with emerging talents on a new series of art objects. In line with the brand’s responsible initiatives, each artist has been given the freedom to experiment with denim waste or leftover material, creating unique pieces within their own discipline while upcycling materials.

Your Zwets

Your Zwets (1992) was the first artist who started “The Art of RAW”. He created a unique furniture object, “Denim Living”, by putting together scrap denim pieces one by one and laminating them with a folder, which included a lamp, a wardrobe and a chair all in one.

Johanna Seeleman

Johanna Seeleman (1990) is regarded as the biggest emerging talent in contemporary design. With her five-piece office furniture series ‘Potentials’, consisting of a screen, a floor mat, a reclining bench, a low stool and a valet stand, the German designer used leftover untreated denim. The material’s qualities, such as stability and texture, extend beyond the context of clothing, making it ideal for furniture. This design series won the Premiere Classe 2023 x Eyes on Talents award.

No Sikkema

No Sikkema (1988) is a renowned designer who works closely with the revolutionary Dutch glass artist Bernard Heesen. For 'The Art of RAW', Sikkema was inspired by Delft blue pottery, basing her glass designs on its iconic shapes and colours. After creating a mould using basic details from G-Star jeans, such as pockets and a zipper, the designer produced a trilogy of vases called 'Blown In Blue'.

Athena Gronti

Greek designer Athena Gronti (1993) decided to create a large quilt called “Ariadne’s Thread.” From rough areas to smooth, intricate stitching and abstract shapes, the large piece of art aims to bring together the sociological paradoxes of denim.

Lenny Stöpp

Lenny Stöpp (1994) produced the 'Fluff Stacks' furniture series, comprising a side table, stool and lamp. The multidisciplinary artist invented his own denim recipe by mixing water, starch and denim scraps in an industrial pulping machine to create a completely new material.

Iwan Pol

Iwan Pol (1988) is renowned for his work with the world's most widely used material: concrete. So it's no surprise that the multidisciplinary designer chose to experiment with denim and concrete. Pol combined concrete with indigo pigment to capture still images of denim waste. The result is 'Rockin' Denim': a trilogy of objects that showcase the different movements of denim.

Pien Post

Pien Post (1996) is fascinated with symbols, materials and objects. Inspired by G-Star’s archival runway pieces, she created a series of seven denim flags, ‘Waving the Denim Flag’. Exploring the concept of unity through flags and denim, each piece presents its own technical experiment. From laser cutting and heat press printing to weaving and quilting.

Milou Voorwinden

Textile designer and researcher Milou Voorwinden (1990) is based on innovation and discovery, reinventing denim through recycled yarns. Using a jacquard loom, the PhD candidate reconnected with G-Star’s industrial past and created her artwork, ‘Warping Twills’. Constantly reinventing traditional techniques, the designer has worked with sustainable 3D fabrics.