Gijs van der Most is a Dutch photographer and design entrepreneur based in New York, known professionally for his photography and vintage furniture business and personally as the husband of comedian, actor and writer Michelle Buteau. His creative work has moved between documentary photography, editorial assignments and furniture collecting, giving him a career that extends well beyond his connection to entertainment. Van der Most studied photographic design in the Netherlands before working in the United States, where he later established Van der Most Modern, a Brooklyn business focused on distinctive vintage furniture and décor.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gijs van der Most |
| Profession | Photographer and design entrepreneur |
| Background | Dutch |
| Education | HKU, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht |
| Field of study | Photographic design |
| Business | Van der Most Modern |
| Based in | Brooklyn, New York |
| Wife | Michelle Buteau |
| Children | Twins Hazel and Otis |
| Known creative fields | Photography, visual storytelling, vintage furniture and design |
Van der Most’s professional profile lists Brooklyn as his base and HKU in Utrecht as his educational institution, while his business and media profiles consistently identify him as a Dutch photographer.
Who Is Gijs van der Most?
The clearest way to understand Gijs van der Most is as a creative professional whose interests connect photography and design.
He trained in photographic design at HKU, or Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, in the Netherlands. His LinkedIn profile lists his time at the school as 2000 to 2005. PEOPLE has reported that he went on to work professionally as a photographer, with photographs appearing in publications including PEOPLE and Esquire.
His earlier photography also shows a strong interest in ordinary people and urban environments rather than only polished studio portraiture. A profile on City Like You describes projects titled Used Car Salesmen, Yard Sales, Sign Jugglers, and I ♥ Runyon Canyon. The same profile characterizes his approach as direct and personal, with his subjects often drawn from everyday behavior and surroundings.
That documentary sensibility helps explain the second major part of his career: collecting and selling furniture chosen for its visual character.
From Photography to Van der Most Modern
Van der Most eventually expanded his creative work into furniture and interior design through Van der Most Modern, a Brooklyn vintage furniture business.
A profile of the store published by Trendland identifies Gijs van der Most as its founder and owner and describes the collection as an assortment of furniture and decorative pieces selected with an emphasis on clean forms, quality materials and strong visual design. The profile also connects his eye for furniture directly to his background as a photographer.
The company’s own website confirms his continuing association with the business, listing Gijs van der Most as the contact for its furniture inventory. Items offered through the store include mid-century seating, lighting, tables and other vintage design pieces, including furniture imported from the Netherlands.
The transition from photographer to furniture dealer is not as unusual as it might initially appear. Both professions depend heavily on proportion, composition, shape, texture and an ability to recognize visual relationships. In Van der Most’s case, photography and furniture collecting appear to function as related expressions of the same design-focused perspective.
Gijs van der Most’s Photography Style
Van der Most’s documented personal projects concentrate heavily on people in recognizable social settings.
A series about used-car salesmen, for example, naturally places individual personalities within a commercial environment. Yard sales and sign jugglers similarly combine portraiture with observations of streets, neighborhoods and everyday American life. His Runyon Canyon project shifted that observational approach toward Los Angeles culture.
An older City Like You profile was written during a period when he was based in Los Angeles after living in Amsterdam. It also states that he worked as a photo editor for the design and culture site Kaufmann Mercantile and collaborated with Michelle Buteau on van der THIS!, a project combining his photography with her comedy.
His later professional base moved to New York. Current professional listings place him in Brooklyn rather than Los Angeles.
Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau
Gijs van der Most is married to American comedian, actress and writer Michelle Buteau, whose work includes stand-up comedy, The Circle and the Netflix series Survival of the Thickest.
The couple met in 2008 and married in 2010. In a 2026 interview, Buteau discussed their long marriage and credited Van der Most with supporting her career from its earlier stages. She described communication as an important part of their relationship and spoke about having a partner who views her professional successes positively.
Their different cultural backgrounds have also become material for Buteau’s comedy. Dutch newspaper NRC noted that Buteau has incorporated jokes about Dutch language and culture into her performances and reported that the family visits the Netherlands. The publication described the couple as living in Brooklyn and having a furniture business there.
Although Van der Most occasionally accompanies Buteau to premieres and industry events, his professional identity remains centered on photography and design rather than performing.
Their Children and Family Life
Van der Most and Buteau are parents to twins Hazel and Otis, born in January 2019 through gestational surrogacy.
Buteau has spoken publicly about the difficult fertility journey that preceded their birth, including IVF treatment. PEOPLE reported that the couple ultimately pursued surrogacy and later welcomed the twins in 2019.
Their experience as parents has subsequently appeared in Buteau’s interviews and comedy, particularly when she discusses differences between her own parenting instincts and those of her Dutch husband. Those stories provide occasional glimpses into their family without turning Van der Most himself into a conventional entertainment personality.
Career Timeline
| Period | Career or personal milestone |
|---|---|
| 2000–2005 | Studied at HKU in Utrecht |
| 2000s | Developed his photography career and worked between Europe and the U.S. |
| 2008 | Met Michelle Buteau |
| 2010 | Married Michelle Buteau |
| Early 2010s | Documented Los Angeles subjects including yard sales, sign jugglers and Runyon Canyon |
| Mid-2010s | Van der Most Modern became part of his professional work in Brooklyn |
| 2019 | Hazel and Otis were born through surrogacy |
| Current professional profile | Based in Brooklyn and associated with Van der Most Modern |
How Gijs van der Most Built a Career Around Visual Taste
Photography and furniture may appear to be separate industries, but Van der Most’s work links them through visual judgment.
His documentary photography involves noticing characters, environments and small details that might otherwise disappear into everyday life. His furniture business applies a similar form of selection: finding objects distinguished by proportion, construction, material and design.
That connection makes his career easier to understand than a simple description such as “photographer and businessman.” Photography trained his eye; furniture collecting gave that eye another medium.
Van der Most Modern’s inventory reflects a particular interest in twentieth-century design, including mid-century furniture and Dutch pieces. The store’s website has featured everything from Eames seating to European lighting and sculptural tables.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Gijs van der Most do?
Gijs van der Most is a photographer and design entrepreneur. He trained in photographic design and later became closely associated with Van der Most Modern, a Brooklyn vintage furniture and décor business.
Is Gijs van der Most a photographer?
Yes. His professional background is in photography. His documented work includes editorial photography and personal documentary projects such as Used Car Salesmen, Yard Sales, Sign Jugglers and I ♥ Runyon Canyon.
Who is Gijs van der Most married to?
He is married to comedian, actress and writer Michelle Buteau. They met in 2008 and married in 2010.
Does Gijs van der Most have children?
Yes. Van der Most and Buteau have twins, Hazel and Otis, who were born via gestational surrogacy in January 2019.
How old is Gijs van der Most?
Several secondary biography websites publish conflicting birth years or dates. A precise birth date is not consistently established by the stronger sources reviewed for this article, so an exact age should not be presented as confirmed fact.
What is Van der Most Modern?
Van der Most Modern is a Brooklyn-based vintage furniture and décor business founded by Gijs van der Most. Its selection emphasizes visually distinctive twentieth-century and mid-century pieces, including European and Dutch design.
Conclusion
Gijs van der Most has built a creative career that connects photography, documentary observation and furniture design. His training at HKU led to professional photography and personal projects focused on people and their environments, while Van der Most Modern gave his visual interests a second outlet through vintage furniture. His marriage to Michelle Buteau has made his name more recognizable, but his own professional record is rooted in photography and a long-standing interest in design.
