snowy amsterdam hosts the next chapter of G-STAR

Dutch-Caribbean designers Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, founders of Botter, have officially stepped into their roles as creative directors at G-Star, introducing a renewed vision that’s grounded in research and craftsmanship, spotlighting denim in sustainable innovation.

Hosted at G-Star’s headquarters in Amsterdam, a full-glass building by Rem Koolhaas, the brand presented its F/W26 collection. Amid snow-delayed roads and a subdued European winter, Manor was there to experience it all, from the runway show staged on the ground floor between the glass to the seated dinner. Sleek, architectural lighting illuminated the space, amplifying the collection’s focus on structure and form, complementing the locale perfectly. The décor was deliberately sparse, although there was an aeroplane sculpture, an object both industrial and symbolic for G-Star’s taking off on their new journey. Positioned as a laboratory for what comes next, G-Star’s RAW RESEARCH challenged the conventions of denim through an event that was deliberately stripped back, engineered, and firmly oriented toward the future.

Botter and Herrebrugh, appointed in 2025, arrive with both institutional credibility and subcultural fluency. Their approach does not lean into Y2K nostalgia, despite G-Star’s deep association with the era. The G-Star womenswear collection arrived more expressive, more flamboyant, while the menswear followed with more restraint. It was a wardrobe defined by the legacy of denim over fleeting trend cycles.

Manor observed a brand choosing discipline over hype and authorship over noise. What is clear is that under Botter and Herrebrugh, the brand is positioning itself as a serious cultural storyteller, grounded in research and craft