G-Star Raw names Pharrell Williams as co-owner to help ‘reimagine the future of denim’
Dutch jeans brand G-Star Raw has announced a partnership with Pharrell Williams which will see the artist become co-owner.
The clothing designer has said the ‘Freedom’ singer will be “immersed in the company on many creative levels” including advertising, collections and business strategy.
The move follows two years of collaboration between G-Star and Williams’ startup Bionic Yarn, which makes fabric from recycled ocean plastic, on a ‘RAW for the Oceans’ collection.
The brand said it plans to continue the sustainability initiative and hopes the new appointment will “stretch expectations with something unexpected and suitably raw.”
Commenting on his latest venture, Williams’ said: “G-Star is an independently minded and forward-thinking company. I believe they will be the definitive jeans brand of the 21st century. I am looking forward to be part of that mission and to co-create G-Star’s future.”
Thecla Schaeffer, the brand’s chief marketing officer added: “In working with Pharrell Williams we wish to continue to innovate by allowing Pharrell to push the boundaries even further across all aspects of our business from creating new product ideas and new visions on sustainability to creating new brand experiences.
“We’re genuinely excited to welcome Pharrell into the G-Star mission in order to reimagine the future of denim together," she said.
Pharrell Williams is one of those few artists that is able to "transcend music with ease and he’s certainly no stranger to the world of fashion", said Jon Stainer, managing director of Repucom's UK and Ireland business.
In the UK, the musician is known by around 66 per cent of the population, of which 85 per cent say he is a trendsetter, according to Repucom's Celebrity DBI Index. In fact, of all the eight metrics upon which his overall marketability is ranked, ‘Trendsetting’ is his highest. In the US too, of the 87 per cent of people that know of him, 75 per cent say he is a trendsetter, again the highest scoring of his eight marketability metrics.
“It’s these figures that show just how well Williams is seen publicly," said Stainer.
"He will bring with him both a dedicated following to the label as well a great wealth of experience in leading trends.”