(click the image above to see the video on Wallpaper Magazine)
Beginning August 3rd, visitors of G-Star stores worldwide might find one of the 30 limited edition Arc Pants from G-Star RAW, customized by Ryan Gander.
The project was comissioned as part of Wallpaper* magazine’s ‘Artist Intervention’ series and was previewed at Wallpaper*s Handmade exhibition during this years Salone del Mobile in Milan.
Conceptual artist Ryan Gander’s collaboration with G-Star involves adding discreet white embroidery, to mimic drips of paint, on select pairs of the brands 3D Arc Loose Tapered jeans, in addition to a small-figurine key ring. The basis for this design intervention comes from renowned modernist Le Corbusier’s phrase “By law all buildings should be white”, which inspired Gander to invent a national holiday in Japan called ‘New New Day’, encouraging people to paint buildings white. The symbol of this day is ‘Arata-Chan’ (translated as ‘cleaning helping friend’), a little figurine with Le Corbusier-style glasses and a paintbrush in his hand. The white embroidered ‘paint drips’ on these limited edition Arc Pants are a visual representation of this concept.
From August 2011, the 30 limited edition pairs of men’s denim will be distributed without fanfare to selected G-Star stores listed below, where customers will be available to buy for the regular retail price. “I like the idea that someone might think they’re damaged, try to return them and not realize they’re getting a limited edition,” Ryan Gander says. “If you specifically wanted a pair, you couldn’t go looking for them. It’s a bit like Willy Wonka’s golden ticket.”
One pair of the limited edition Arc Pants will be on auction on the G-Star Facebook page. The resulting money will be donated to charity. The collaboration is featured in full in Wallpaper*s August issue, out now.
If you’re in the UK – you are only likely to find a pair in either Birmingham, Manchester or London – happy hunting!