G-Star Teams With Olympic Gymnast Champion Rhys McClenaghan
G-Star Raw has teamed with Olympic gold medal gymnast Rhys McClenaghan on a special campaign for the Dutch denim brand’s Fall 2024 collection.
The greenhouse cotton growers—which notoriously present its pieces in unexpected ways—said it was inspired by McClenaghan’s talent and saw the pommel horse as a “gymnastic catwalk” to showcase its latest collection.
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“I’ve always seen gymnastics as a form of art, much like fashion,” the two-time world champion said. “Collaborating with G-Star is an exciting opportunity to merge these two worlds. The idea of performing gymnastics in denim is something I never imagined, but it’s a perfect fit.”
McClenaghan, 25, became the first gymnast from Ireland to win an Olympic medal in the pommel horse. It was the first-ever gymnastics medal for the country, and it was gold.
“One of the core elements of G-Star is the idea of surprising and contrasting combinations. We like to do things that are different and provocative—and we love to collaborate with the best talent to do so,” said Gwenda van Vliet, G-Star’s chief brand officer. “We are absolutely thrilled that Rhys McClenaghan has partnered with us, and his recent Olympic win is a testament to his exceptional skills and relentless discipline.”
In the campaign video, directed by Felix Brady, the Olympic medalist shows off his signature pendulum-like movements on the pommel horse, sporting the “Art of the Raw” purveyor’s Fall 2024 denim collection. McClenaghan is featured in multiple fits, including the Bend 3D, a mid-rise loose-fit pair of jeans, as well as the Lenney, a low-rise, bootcut denim. Meanwhile, a range of female dancers are wearing denim pieces such as the Skater—a high-rise, loose fit with a street-inspired look.
“In our quest for creative exploration, we have a legacy in partnering with best-in-class visionaries from diverse backgrounds—no matter what their talent is,” van Vliet said. She noted that previous partners included “trailblazers” like Cara Delevingne and Snoop Dogg to “avant-garde” designers like Stephen Jones and Walter Van Beirendonck.
This “best in class” vision, she continued, allows G-Star to collaborate with “outstanding talents” in sports, in which the brand previously partnered up with exceptional athletes like chess grandmaster and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen and Max Verstappen, who is now up for his fourth Formula 1 title in a row. Working with a “top-class gymnast” like McClenaghan fits nicely into G-Star’s ethos, as another “best in class” collaborator.
“Winning the Olympic gold is everything I have ever dreamt about,” McClenaghan said. “It represents all my hard work, resilience and perseverance. I hope this win will inspire the next generation of young gymnasts and show them anything is possible.”
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