Magnus Carlsen's new career: fashion model!

by ChessBase
7/7/2010 – After our teaser yesterday we received hundreds of emails and Skype messages, guessing what Magnus might have taken up. Poker professional was the most common theory, then came rock band, politics, marriage. Only one person, a fashion-conscious WIM from Ukraine, got it right. At a press conference in Berlin the Dutch clothing company G-Star also announced a world chess challenge.

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The news was broken at the Bread & Butter fashion trade show on Wednesday, by G-Star RAW, a Dutch clothing company that produces stylish urban clothing which has become a very popular brand among students in Europe. G-Star specializes in making RAW denim – an unwashed, untreated denim, inspired by vintage military apparel from around the world. The flagship stores are located in New York City, Australia and the Netherlands in the most luxurious shopping street of Amsterdam.

Press release

G-Star’s Fall/Winter 2010 advertising campaign
combines hollywood glamour with the chess world

Amsterdam, July 2010 - G-Star’s Fall/Winter 2010 advertising campaign, shot by celebrated photographer Anton Corbijn, combines the intelligence of Norwegian chess prodigy, Magnus Carlsen, with the beauty of model and actress, Liv Tyler.

This combination of contrasting and unexpected elements is one of G-Star’s key philosophies, displayed in runway shows, where destroyed denim pants are often paired with tailored jackets from the Correct Line range; and where iconic and fearless performers, such as Benicio Del Toro, interrupt proceedings to deliver spoken-word pieces in a form of ‘art-hijack.’

Already the world chess number one and described as a ‘Mozart of chess,’ Carlsen has the potential to become a similar level of icon. Becoming a Grandmaster at the age of 13 years and 148 days, Magnus is the youngest player in history to achieve the number one rank and his uncompromising approach to the game mirrors G-Star’s own hardcore design philosophy.

Hollywood actress Tyler perfectly embodies the modern G-Star woman’s combination of toughness with controlled sensuality. Her striking looks and assured, independent style have made her a globally recognized model and fashion icon. Liv returns for her second G-Star campaign, having previously presented the elegant Low-T capsule-collection.

The striking black and white images were captured by Anton Corbijn in a Miami shoot that represents his fourth major advertising campaign for G-Star.

G-STAR RAW. Just the Product.


G-STAR organizes RAW World Chess Challenge

On September 10th, 2010, G-Star travels to the Cooper Square Hotel in New York City to host a global chess competition: The RAW World Chess Challenge. Chess icon Garry Kasparov will participate as the official ambassador of this world-wide challenge. Everyone in the world is invited to play Magnus Carlsen, the no.1 chess player in the world and G-Star’s new Fall/Winter 2010 advertising campaign model, together at once, live on the internet.


Press conference at the Bread and Butter fashion trade fair in Berlin on Wednesday

Although Magnus currently is the no.1 ranked chess player (the youngest ever), he is not the ruling World Chess Champion. The RAW World Chess Challenge is offering Magnus the opportunity to prove that he truly is the world’s best chess player… but only if he can beat the entire world first!

How to beat Magnus Carlsen

The RAW World Chess Challenge gives chess players around the world the opportunity to beat Magnus at his own game during this online game of chess. Three Chess Grandmasters, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from France, Hikaru Nakamura from the United States and Judit Polgár from Hungary, will suggest a move each to the registered public. The public can vote online for their favourite move to be played against Magnus.


Magnus and Joris Aperghis, chief marketing officer of G-Sstar, describing the big
event that will take place on September 10th, 2010, in New York

Renowned Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, the world’s first African-American chess player to reach this status, will provide live commentary on the RAW World Chess Challenge.

RAW World Chess Challenge & UNMC Partnership

G-Star founded the GSRD foundation in 2007 to make a valuable contribution to the development and economic independence of people in order to improve their situation by supporting projects to educate children and support entrepreneurs. In 2008 G-Star teamed up as a partner of the United Nations Millennium Campaign to jointly raise awareness for the eight Millennium Development Goals to which the GSRD foundation’s goals are closely linked.

With the RAW World Chess Challenge, G-Star would like to get children involved in playing chess and stimulate them to use their brains. By these means, G-Star and the UNMC raise awareness for the Millennium Development Goals, and especially MDG number two: Achieve Universal Primary Education.


More info on the RAW World Chess Challenge can be found here (with a nice video intro)


Photo Gallery


The Bread and Butter fashion trade fair is held at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin,
which ceased operating 2008 and now pays host to exhibitions and shows


The stalls and booths are set up on the former runway


The G-Star tent where the press conference was held on Wednesday


The star of the new advertising campaign of G-STAR is all over the trade fair


The man who arranged it all: Magnus' manager Espen Agdestein (brother of Simen)
chatting with singer, actress and author Vaile in the G-Star hospitality area


Magnus on the cover of the G-Star RAW trade fair magazine


"The 19-year-old chess grandmaster and world number one"


"Not all artists may be chess players, but all chess players are artists."
This quote by Marcel Duchamp is the caption of this shot in the magazine.


NRK report: "Chess Magnus as you have never seen him before" – video of the
photo shoot in Florida (46 seconds, click image to view)


Magnus during the photo shoot...


... and with his co-star Liv Tyler


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

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