Staying True to Brand DNA

G-Star is known for its impeccable raw denim and fashionable attire. With the company’s roots in street culture, it’s no wonder that people flock to the brand to purchase practical yet stylish clothes. Shubhankar Ray, the Global Brand Director at G-Star, helps to reboot the brand with ideas, and keep its incredible momentum going.

3 Questions with Shubhankar Ray

1. How does your team generate new ideas?

We always generate our new ideas by first looking at the heart of our brand's DNA. We try to influence our designers by looking at the world outside of fashion. We look at industrial design, architecture and kitchen equipment. We have worked with Mark Newson, the Industrial Designer, and he helps to spark new ideas. We mix our DNA with other companies that we admire and identify with on product terms. When we feel our goals are similarly based on creating products with high functional and aesthetic life expectancy, we know they are a brand to look at. Basically, we take our influences from many different areas, but we always stick to our brand DNA.

2. Do you have any specific rituals for resetting your team to be creative?

We don't have specific rituals, but we try to make sure everyone on the team is constantly energized. A lot of the time, we don't have a fixed plan, so we allow good ideas to be seeded, visualized and then realized through efficiency. We also have a big commitment to sustainability, and that has helped to recharge the team. We put some of our highest levels of creativity, styling and design into trying to deliver to the customer the most innovative and sustainable products. We have a great denim line that uses nettle instead of cotton, which is more water-friendly. It's important to use outside sources to help reset your creativity.

3. Looking to the future, how will G-Star continue to be a leader in innovation?

We will continue to be a leader by continually pushing boundaries and challenging conventions. For G-Star, it's okay to break fashion codes. This will be key for us to keep innovating, and it keeps us open to utilizing outside sources. Denim is rooted in the street, and it breaks barriers of sex, race, age and taste. Since we are rooted in the street, we have the option of being unfiltered, unprocessed and pure. This will continue to make us innovative.