The Arc de Triomphe is an icon in a city of icons. Charlotte de Witte holds a similar place in music. She has rewritten the rules of contemporary techno – stripped back, moving forward with absolute certainty – and become an icon in the process. Apt, then, that the Belgian DJ, producer and record label owner fronts Own the Arc , G-STAR ’s latest campaign, centred on the Parisian landmark.
Earlier this month, the Dutch denim brand announced de Witte as its new global brand ambassador. Own the Arc is the first time we get to see the face of the brand in a full campaign, posing between club nights and sold-out tour dates for a series of stark, black-and-white portraits against the Paris skyline.
The photos draw out the connection between the French capital’s Arc and G-STAR’s returning Arc jean, both bearing an engineered silhouette and a storied history. But there are echoes of de Witte’s rise to stardom in the campaign, too, with the photos conjuring up her long journey – day after day, or rather night after night – to techno dominance.
On a more practical note, says de Witte, the broader partnership makes a lot of sense: “I’ve always lived in denim. It’s functional, effortless and has attitude, which feels very natural to me.” Both the DJ and G-STAR share a certain sensibility, she adds, built around an “independent spirit and a strong point of view” – the desire to build their own kinds of monuments.
“There’s a real connection between our worlds,” she adds, “through music, fashion and a global audience that values individuality.”
For G-STAR itself, the partnership marks the start of a new chapter for its women’s collection, building on the brand’s foundations in industrial design but moving in a more fluid direction. The Arc was built to commemorate revolutionaries, after all. Take a look at the first step in the gallery above.
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