Raw Essentials

Celebrating the craftsmanship, functionality and intricate details that catapulted G-Star to denim fame long before hip-hop celebs began sporting their jeans, the brand has taken it back to their 1989 roots with their new collection, Raw Essentials.

Hitting stores this August 2010, the collection includes key pieces like boiled wool cardigans and leather jackets but remains chiefly focused on selvedge denim. With deconstructed accents—like abrasion marks and hand-painted rivets— the jeans have an overall worn-in feel, while details like hand-sewn stitching between fabric panels reveal themselves only on closer inspection.

"By mixing vintage influences with a modern, big-city street style there are no limits to what the G-Star design team can create," said G-Star's Collection Stylist Remco de Nijs.

Part of G-Star's popularity revolves around its Arc cut jeans, a concept they introduced years ago that integrates a slight curvature at the knees for a super casual appearance. Building on that, the Raw Essentials collection keeps it laid back with low-slung crotches and a straight leg fit instead of the pervasive skinny leg.

Shot by Anton Corbijn, the face of G-Star's Autumn/Winter 2010 and Raw Essentials collections is 19-year-old chess champion Magnus Carlson. To celebrate the season's launch, G-Star is assembling a three-member team of first-rate international chess champions for its RAW World Chess Challenge on 10 September 2010 in NYC to play against Carlson, with the public's input.