G-Star and Caroline Chao's "Roll-Up Chair" Explores the "Art of Raw"

Summary

• G-Star collaborated with designer Caroline Chao on “The Roll-Up Chair,” a conceptual, modular furniture piece made from deadstock denim and industrial materials.
• Inspired by camping gear, the chair can be disassembled and hung like a garment, exploring how furniture can be as adaptable as clothing.

G-Star has unveiled a furniture collaboration with New York-based designer Caroline Chao. With the aim of creating a conceptual and modular chair as part of the brand’s “Art of Raw” program, the project is fittingly titled “The Roll-Up Chair.”

An architect by training, Chao’s work has been driven by her fascination with the ways that humans interact with objects and how design can challenge our perceptions of materials. Inspired by the utilitarian nature of denim, camping furniture, and military gear, the Roll-Up Chair is designed to be fully disassembled and can be reassembled or even hung on a wall like a garment.

The chair uses a combination of deadstock denim and industrial byproducts like steel railing components and construction fasteners, as well as vintage snap buttons — a nod to G-Star’s denim heritage. Chao’s design questions whether furniture can be as adaptable as clothing, and with time, the chair will bear marks of use, just like a favorite pair of jeans. This collaboration showcases how original materials can be reinterpreted, creating a functional art piece that explores the relationship between design and perception.

G-STAR’s “Art of Raw” is a platform where the brand collaborates with emerging artists to create unique art objects from denim waste and deadstock. The initiative aligns with G-STAR’s commitment to responsible practices. The first artist to participate was Teun Zwets, who created a multi-functional furniture piece called “Denim Living” by layering and laminating denim waste to form a lamp, cupboard, and chair. Another featured artist, Kodai Iwamoto, from Tokyo and Kagoshima, focuses on merging opposing concepts in his work, such as craftsmanship and mass production. His piece, “Uneri,” is a lighting object made from deadstock denim and traditional Japanese washi paper.

The Caroline Chao x G-STAR Roll-Up Chair launched on September 4, 2025, at Collectible in New York. Stay tuned to Hypebeast for the latest design and fashion insights.