Gijs van der Most is a Dutch photographer and entrepreneur whose career spans editorial photography, documentary-style projects and vintage furniture. He is also widely known as the husband of comedian, actress and writer Michelle Buteau. Although Buteau’s television and stand-up career places their family in the entertainment spotlight, van der Most has built a creative career of his own. He studied photographic design in the Netherlands, worked professionally as a photographer and later developed Van der Most Modern, a Brooklyn furniture and décor business. His work reflects a long-standing interest in people, visual culture and design.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gijs van der Most |
| Profession | Photographer and entrepreneur |
| Origin | Netherlands |
| Education | HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht) |
| Field of study | Photographic design |
| Based in | Brooklyn/New York area |
| Business | Van der Most Modern |
| Spouse | Michelle Buteau |
| Married | 2010 |
| Children | Twins Hazel and Otis |
| Known photography work | Editorial, portrait and documentary photography |
Van der Most’s LinkedIn profile lists Brooklyn, New York, as his location and identifies HKU as his educational institution, with attendance from 2000 to 2005.
Who Is Gijs van der Most?
Gijs van der Most is a Netherlands-born creative professional who established himself primarily through photography before expanding into furniture and interior design retail.
His background is distinctly visual. He studied at HKU, the Utrecht arts institution in the Netherlands, between 2000 and 2005. PEOPLE has described his studies as photographic design and says he has worked professionally as a photographer since 2008.
Rather than building a career around celebrity appearances, van der Most has generally remained focused on photography and design. That distinction matters because much of his wider name recognition comes through his marriage to Michelle Buteau, while his professional record predates much of the attention surrounding their family.
Gijs van der Most’s Photography Career
Photography has been the central thread in van der Most’s professional life.
PEOPLE lists publications including Esquire, Men’s Health, Fast Company and PEOPLE itself among outlets where his photography has appeared. An archived November 2012 Esquire article, “The Fate of Arizona Is on This Man,” directly credits Gijs van der Most alongside writer Mike Sager, providing an independent example of his editorial work.
His photography has also appeared in connection with public-radio projects. WNYC Studios, for example, credits van der Most for an image of Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos used on a 2023 page featuring their Adulting podcast.
His Documentary Photography Style
Van der Most has not confined himself to conventional editorial portraits. An earlier profile on Citylikeyou described his photography as direct and personal, with an interest in people, behavior and the environments they inhabit. The profile identified documentary projects including:
- Used Car Salesmen
- Yard Sales
- Sign Jugglers
- I ♥ Runyon Canyon
The subjects offer a useful clue to his approach. Instead of concentrating solely on carefully staged celebrity portraiture, he has photographed recognizable fragments of everyday American life—from roadside workers to neighborhood sales and Los Angeles outdoor culture.
That observational quality connects his commercial work and independent photography: both rely on noticing visual character in people and ordinary surroundings.
From Photography to Van der Most Modern
Van der Most’s interest in visual composition eventually extended beyond the camera.
He operates Van der Most Modern, a furniture and décor business in Brooklyn. His LinkedIn page lists the company as his professional affiliation, while the store’s own website identifies him as the contact person for its inventory.
PEOPLE describes the business as a source for furniture and decorative objects personally selected from the Netherlands. The collection emphasizes vintage and mid-century design, connecting van der Most’s Dutch background with his eye for shape, proportion and material.
A 2015 Trendland feature described him as the founder and owner of the shop and connected his background as a photographer to the way he selects furniture. The store has offered pieces ranging from vintage Dutch lighting to designs associated with major names such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Richard Schultz.
Photography and furniture may appear to be different careers, but the common element is visual judgment. Both involve composition, form, proportion and an ability to identify what makes an object or scene distinctive.
Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau
Van der Most is married to Michelle Buteau, the comedian, actor, writer and producer known for projects including Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, The Circle and her stand-up specials.
The couple met in 2008 and married in 2010. In an April 2026 interview with PEOPLE, Buteau described their relationship as one built around communication and shared support. She said van der Most had been part of her career journey long before many of her biggest professional successes and described her achievements as something they experience together.
Their different cultural backgrounds have also become material in Buteau’s comedy. Van der Most is Dutch, while Buteau grew up in New Jersey in a Haitian-Jamaican family. She has frequently used the contrasts between their personalities, communication styles and approaches to everyday life as affectionate material in her stand-up.
Despite occasionally accompanying Buteau to premieres and awards events, van der Most maintains a considerably lower media profile than his wife.
Their Children and Journey to Parenthood
Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau are parents to twins, Hazel and Otis, who were born via surrogacy in January 2019.
Their path to parenthood followed years of fertility treatment. Buteau has spoken and written openly about undergoing IVF and experiencing miscarriages before the couple pursued surrogacy. PEOPLE has reported that van der Most encouraged her to consider the option as the fertility treatments took an increasing physical and emotional toll.
Buteau later discussed motherhood in her comedy, interviews and writing, while the couple has maintained boundaries around how much of their children’s lives they place in the media.
Career Timeline
| Period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2000–2005 | Studied at HKU in Utrecht, Netherlands |
| 2008 | Began working professionally in photography; met Michelle Buteau |
| 2010 | Married Michelle Buteau |
| 2010s | Editorial and documentary photography appeared across major publications |
| 2010s | Developed Van der Most Modern in New York |
| 2019 | Became a father to twins Hazel and Otis |
| 2020s | Continued work in photography, design and the furniture business |
Sources documenting these milestones include van der Most’s professional profile, PEOPLE’s coverage and publication archives.
FAQs About Gijs van der Most
What does Gijs van der Most do for a living?
Gijs van der Most is a photographer and entrepreneur. He has worked in editorial and documentary photography and is associated with Van der Most Modern, a Brooklyn furniture and décor business.
Where is Gijs van der Most from?
He is from the Netherlands. He studied photographic design at HKU in Utrecht before developing his professional career in the United States.
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 surrogacy in January 2019.
What kind of photography does Gijs van der Most do?
His work includes portraits, editorial assignments and documentary projects. Earlier projects focused on subjects such as used-car salespeople, yard sales, sign jugglers and people around Los Angeles’ Runyon Canyon.
What is Van der Most Modern?
Van der Most Modern is a New York furniture and décor business associated with Gijs van der Most. Its inventory includes vintage and mid-century pieces, including furniture and lighting sourced from Europe and the Netherlands.
Conclusion
Gijs van der Most has built a career around visual storytelling and design. His training in photographic design led to editorial assignments, portraiture and documentary projects, while the same visual sensibility later became central to his work with Van der Most Modern. His marriage to Michelle Buteau has made his name more familiar outside photography and design circles, but his professional identity remains rooted in creative work. Together, van der Most and Buteau have also built a family while supporting careers that occupy very different sides of the spotlight.
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