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28 Aug 2024 ///
Fashion /// Community

CELEBRATING G-STAR’S CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH THEIR LATEST COLLECTION

It’s something to be noted that a brand as globally big as G-STAR has retained its excellence in precise craftsmanship and unequivocal style. It’s an age old story that has happened to the best of brands, artists and mavericks alike; when you go mainstream, selling out is inevitable – and that once eccentric spirit that was part of your original lore, fades like a long forgotten memory. When G-STAR arrived on the scene in 1989, their promise was to revolutionise denim with innovative and unconventional designs, redefining the way jeans were perceived and worn. Their flag was a shroud of defiant, raw denim; unwashed and untreated, retaining its original indigo dye and stiff texture – a stark contrast to the starching and distressing prized by other brands at the advent of the 1990s. For G-STAR, raw denim’s unique patina faded over time, which meant that their view for denim was always personal, as they hoped each of their wearers would come to develop their own character, literally and figuratively, in a pair of G-STAR denims. Somehow, they’ve gotten this right – every single year over the last 35 years. G-STAR is luxury without being ostentatious, rebellious while being sophisticated. Real, raw — denim experiences. We’re very into it.  

Self-described as an ‘antidote to the generic’, G-STAR’s inventive approach to denim culminated in their development beyond two-dimensional sartorial traditions in fashion. I mean, developing your own approach to the highly mathematically (and frankly incomprehensible) margins of pattern-making is next level — and yet, it worked, with G-STAR’s pioneering 3D denim technique remaining one of the most revolutionary innovations in the denim space, purely from an engineering perspective. Departing from traditional flat patterns, G-STAR’s 3D design approach uses specific engineered cuts, panels and stitching to create an ergonomic fit that contours to the body’s natural shape, resulting in the sculptural and dynamic pieces embedded in the brand’s DNA. G-STAR is observable from a mile away for its holy trinity; that pure raw denim finish, the sculptural fit (even when its relaxed, its intentional) and the display of stitching or hardware to accentuate the finished garment. Crazy. 

So, when we finally put the skinny jeans to rest (I refuse their return, despite what the TikTok girly’s might be saying) – G-STAR was already perfectly positioned to flex the tailoring possibilities of denim. The fabric’s ease of handling, especially in the right hands, allows for exceptional craftsmanship to unfold and denim’s ubiquity as simply and incredibly cool – G-STAR’s latest collection spotlight lights these precise sentiments. With particularly technical focus made to layering techniques in their interpretation of the loose, barrel legged denim trends that have swept the cultural landscape.

G-Star x Evolve “Culture IS Yours” featuring Andile Dlamini
G-Star x Evolve “Culture IS Yours” featuring Chelsea-Sloane Samuels
G-STAR’s latest collection showcases the brand’s commitment to quality while maintaining its signature DNA. The Men’s Bend 3D features a mid-rise, loose fit with an extra panel inside the leg, embodying that 3D technique and offering a relaxed yet dynamic expression of G-STAR’s design ethos. For women, the Bowey is a low-waisted silhouette designed to be the best boyfriend jeans you’ll ever have, with an artful bow leg. Also for women, the Skater offers a high-waisted, slack-cut silhouette, combining classic tailoring with nuanced seam detailing. Denim, as we know, is one of fashion’s staple paring fabrics. 

G-STAR’s collaborations with artists, designers and musicians have added layers of creativity and innovation to their vision. As a brand, G-STAR has always been dedicated to the cloth, the craft and the culture of denim. In its unique position as a progressive denim brand, the brand has been steadfast in creating the future of denim; driven by creativity, they’re constantly turning ideas into denim, while consistently following their own distinctive path. Recently, their collaboration with Ryan Hing and his EVOLVE team, G-STAR South Africa emphasised its role in the culture of denim through our nation’s lens – with individual expression and creativity as the brand’s guiding principles, front of mind. 

G-Star x Evolve “Culture IS Yours” featuring Lethabo Motlatle
G-Star x Evolve “Culture IS Yours” featuring Ryan Hing
Whether it’s collaborations with young designers – like with Danish label (di)vision, in which they paid homage to the year 1996 with a release of 96 upcycled archival pieces and 96 custom G-Star Elwood jeans – or their foray into intentional design in cross-brand pollinations with the likes of Land Rover, Leica and Prouvé, these partnerships fuse G-STAR’s denim expertise with unique artistic visions. G-STAR operates worldwide with a focus on the United States, Europe, Japan and South Africa, and has worked throughout decades with true originals such as Pharrell Williams, Marc Newson, Stephen Jones, Burna Boy, Magnus Carlsen, Maarten Baas, Cara Delevingne, Snoop Dogg, Anton Corbijn, Walter Van Beirendonck, and Rem Koolhaas.

Denim is for the people, and G-STAR’s core principle is denim. A simple modus operandi, with gritty and sublime outcomes. The brand remains as hyped about the fabric’s crafting possibilities as it is about the cultural impact denim has had on the socio-sartorial movements around the world. G-STAR’s indigo-hued universe, denim is a blueprint for living life with an unrestrained freedom — and it’s why, through all the tides and shifts of the last three decades, they’ll never sell out. You can’t make-up that kind of innate spirit; you kinda just have it, and have the pleasure to run with it. As South Africans, we love to see it — how utterly refreshing in 2024.

Shop G-STAR’s latest arrivals HERE

Written by: Holly Beaton
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

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