TOMBOGO x G-STAR: Inside THE DENIM 004

Can you tell us about your background and where TOMBOGO comes from?

I was born and raised in the Bay Area, which had a big influence on me growing up. The Bay has a tight creative community where people support each other and share similar mindsets, especially the idea of being a self-starter. Because the region did not always have the same fashion infrastructure as cities like New York or Los Angeles, creatives often had to build things themselves.
That environment shaped my brand. TOMBOGO grew out of that community. People experimenting, collaborating, and growing together. A lot of the artists I connected with ten years ago through small pop-ups are now doing incredible things, but that sense of collective creativity has always stayed with me.

Do you design with that community in mind?

In a way, yes. The community does not necessarily dictate the design itself, but the energy behind the work comes from that background. There is always a sense of “you can do it too.”
A lot of people I grew up with were trying to build something from nothing, and I want the work to remind them that it is still possible. The Bay Area is also home to companies like Apple and Google, which shows how far an idea that starts locally can go. That perspective definitely influences how I think about building a brand.

Your work often has a futuristic, technology-inspired aesthetic. Where does that come from?

It is something I have always been drawn to. I like clean, structured design. I grew up using Apple products, like the iPod shuffle, and I think that kind of clarity and simplicity stuck with me.
My logo actually came from hardware I designed early on for my clothing. I made custom jean buttons shaped like a d Phillips screw head. When it came time to develop a logo, I realized the symbol was already there. It just needed to be refined and simplified.

How did TOMBOGO first start?

Both of my parents are artists, so creativity was always around me. Even though they warned me about the “starving artist” lifestyle, I ended up following that path anyway.
When I was in high school, my dad and I built a small DIY screen-printing setup out of 2x4 pieces of wood in our backyard. I started printing T-shirts with graphics I had drawn in my notebooks and selling them out of my locker at school. Around the same time Instagram was starting to grow, so I began sharing the pieces online. That was really the beginning of the brand.

What happened after that early momentum?

I eventually moved to New York and got my first real exposure to the fashion industry. I was going to school and working other jobs while building the brand on the side.
Things slowly started gaining attention. Artists like J Balvin discovered the work and supported it early on. After COVID, I partnered with a PR agency and decided to focus on TOMBOGO full-time. Once those pieces came together – moving to LA, the PR support, and connections to organizations like the CFDA and IMG – the brand really started to grow quickly.

How did the collaboration with G-STAR come about?

It actually happened through a chain of community connections. An advisor I had previously worked with ended up connecting me to someone working with the umbrella company behind G-STAR. They thought our brands might be a good match and introduced us.
It was pretty random, but it worked out well. After a lot of “what-if” collaborations earlier in my career, this became a tangible project that actually came to life.

How did you approach designing the jeans for THE DENIM 004?

I knew denim would be the starting point, so I thought about how to create something new rather than repeating existing TOMBOGO silhouettes.
The idea actually came from seeing someone wearing harness boots with buckle straps. I thought it would be interesting to translate that idea into a pair of pants. From there, I sketched the concept and realized it hadn’t been explored this way before. That became the core direction of the design.

Did G-STAR’s archive influence the design?

Definitely. When visiting the HQ, stepping into the archive and seeing the historical hardware and pieces was really inspiring. The silhouette of the jeans references some older G-STAR styles, especially some of the utilitarian designs I saw there.
The goal was to create something that felt true to both TOMBOGO’s design language and G-STAR’s heritage.

What was it like working with denim, since it is not your usual material?

It was exciting because denim is something I have always wanted to explore. Visiting the archive really showed me how technical the material is and how much knowledge goes into making a good pair of jeans.
Collaborating with a brand like G-STAR, one with such deep expertise in denim, felt like the right way to approach it.

Who do you see as the wearer of THE DENIM 004?

Aspiring creatives. That has always been the core audience of the brand. People who try to build something for themselves.
A video editor once told me he likes wearing TOMBOGO while he works because it reminds him of the places he wants to go creatively. That really stuck with me. It made me realize that the brand represents a mindset. Starting from somewhere small and pushing toward something bigger. I think it’s a nice way to frame this collaboration as well.