Japanese designer Kodai Iwamoto is the latest artist to turn G-Star Raw’s denim waste and deadstock into art.
Iwamoto’s washi paper and denim waste fiber lamp is the latest addition to the Dutch denim brand’s “The Art of Raw” program, a collaborative project that explores the “endless possibilities” of denim by creating art out of denim waste.
“Kodai is one of the most exciting Japanese designers today. His work focuses on bringing together contradictions like mass production and craftsmanship, eastern and western culture, product design and traditional art,” said Gwenda van Vliet, G-Star’s chief marketing officer. “These apparent contradictions are similar to the way we work at G-Star: bringing unexpected combinations together, pushing creative boundaries and a constant obsession for detail.”
The Walter Van Beirendonck collaborator supplied Iwamoto with denim waste sourced from its “Return Your Jeans” takeback program, which allows customers to recycle their damaged or old jeans in G-Star stores. Iwamoto infused the washi paper, crafted by the Japanese factory Igarashi Seishi, with these fibers to create a new material.
“To mix denim fabric with the raw materials for washi paper, I needed to process the denim into fibers, which was challenging,” Iwamoto said. “However, by experimenting with a commercial blender used for crushing hard nuts and ingredients, I found that denim scraps could be finely shredded, allowing the fibers to be unraveled. This discovery became the key to the success of my project.”
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Drawing inspiration from the historical connection between Japan and the Netherlands in the 19th century—when Japanese woodblock prints traveled as packing materials for ceramics and influenced artists like Vincent van Gogh—Iwamoto used the “charm” of the paper material as the starting point for his creation.
This collaboration marked the first time Iwamoto used denim. The young artist was initially “reserved” about what kind of work he could create with the material.
“[G-Star] gave me the freedom to experiment with denim,” Iwamoto said. “Their support allowed me to blend my artistic vision with their denim expertise, resulting in a unique art object that seamlessly combines tradition and modernity.”
Launched in May 2023, the monthly art platform calls on young designers to “channel their creativity” by transforming G-Star’s denim scraps into original art pieces. In line with the brand’s ethos, participating artists were given full freedom to experiment with denim waste or deadstock to make unique items in their given medium.
“At G-Star, we continuously explore the possibilities of denim,” van Vliet said. “Over the years, we produced many abstract denim art pieces in-house, and now, we wanted to give young designers a platform to create unique artworks with denim. Aligned with our sustainability initiatives, each artist has the freedom to experiment with denim waste or feedstock. I love the results because each artist offers their own, unique interpretation.”
Teun Zwets was the first artist to kick off the Art of Raw with “Denim Living,” an all-in-one lamp, cupboard and chair made with a metal frame as a base. Denim waste was layered on top and laminated with a binder. Johanna Seelemann and Lenny Stöpp also created furniture pieces for the project. Designer Nienke Sikkema took inspiration from the Delfts Blauw earthenware and made a mold using staple details of G-Star jeans (think zippers and pockets) to produce a trilogy of vases titled “Blown in Blue.” Greek designer Athena Gronti created a large quilt showcasing the various textures of denim, while Pien Post created a series of denim flags, exploring the collective memory and denim.
“We have several talented artists lined up for The Art of the Raw, including a Belgian textile artist, an American design duo and a Uruguayan-Brazilian designer,” van Vliet said. “Each artist brings a unique approach to their work, so I’m excited to see the different outcomes.”