Introduction
Gijs van der Most is a Dutch photographer, creative professional, and entrepreneur who has developed a career around photography, visual storytelling, and design. He is also widely recognized because of his marriage to American comedian, actress, writer, and producer Michelle Buteau. While his wife’s career has placed her in the entertainment spotlight, van der Most has built a creative identity of his own through photography and his work with vintage furniture and design. He studied photographic design in the Netherlands before establishing himself professionally in the United States. His work has included editorial, portrait, and documentary photography, while his design interests eventually led to the creation of Van der Most Modern.
Who Is Gijs van der Most?
Gijs van der Most is a Dutch-born photographer who has spent much of his professional life working in the United States. He is best known for his photography career, his interest in design, and his long-standing marriage to Michelle Buteau. Unlike many people who become publicly known because of a celebrity relationship, van der Most already had his own creative career and professional interests.
His work has appeared in publications and media projects, including PEOPLE and Esquire, while his independent photography has included documentary-style projects focusing on ordinary people, businesses, places, and everyday American life. His career demonstrates a strong interest in observing people and environments through images rather than seeking attention in front of the camera.
Much of his personal life remains private. As a result, there are fewer verified public details about his exact birth information, parents, childhood, and financial situation than there are about his professional career. Some websites publish a specific birth date and year, but these details are not consistently supported by the strongest available sources.
Early Life and Dutch Background
Van der Most is from the Netherlands and later moved to the United States, where he developed his professional photography career. His Dutch background has remained relevant to his creative interests, particularly through his work with vintage furniture and Dutch design.
Information about his childhood and family background is relatively limited in major publications. Unlike his wife, whose career has involved television, film, comedy, and public interviews, van der Most has generally maintained a lower public profile. This makes it difficult to establish many personal details beyond information documented through professional profiles and media coverage.
His transition from the Netherlands to the United States was an important part of his professional development. He eventually became associated with New York’s creative community, working in photography while also developing an interest in furniture and interior design.
Education and Photography Training
Photography was not simply a hobby for van der Most. He received formal education in photographic design at HKU, the Utrecht School of the Arts in the Netherlands. Sources commonly report that he studied there from 2000 to 2005.
This type of education provided a foundation in photography, visual composition, design, and image-making. His later work demonstrates an interest in both technically produced commercial photography and more observational documentary images.
After completing his studies, he continued developing his professional portfolio. PEOPLE reports that he has worked professionally as a photographer since around 2008. Over time, his photography became associated with editorial publications, portraits, commercial assignments, and documentary projects.
His formal design background also helps explain his later interest in furniture. Photography and furniture collecting are different professional fields, but both involve visual composition, proportions, materials, shapes, and an appreciation for design.
Gijs van der Most’s Photography Career
Photography is the central part of van der Most’s professional identity. His work has included portrait photography, editorial assignments, and documentary projects. His photographs have been connected with publications such as Esquire, Men’s Health, Fast Company, and PEOPLE, according to biographical coverage.
One of the interesting aspects of his career is that his photography has not been limited to celebrity portraits. Earlier profiles of his work describe documentary projects centered on everyday people and locations. These projects include Used Car Salesmen, Yard Sales, Sign Jugglers, and I ♥ Runyon Canyon.
These subjects show an interest in the ordinary details of life. Instead of photographing only famous personalities or carefully arranged studio scenes, his documentary work has explored people at work, neighborhood activities, outdoor spaces, and recognizable aspects of American culture.
His photography has therefore developed across both commercial and personal projects. The commercial side allowed him to work with publications and clients, while documentary photography gave him an opportunity to explore subjects according to his own visual interests.
Documentary Style and Creative Approach
Van der Most’s documentary projects provide insight into his creative approach. His photographs have often focused on people and their surroundings, allowing the environment to become part of the story.
Projects involving used-car salesmen, yard sales, and sign jugglers may appear simple at first, but these subjects can reveal details about communities, work, consumer culture, and everyday behavior. Photography in this style depends on observation and timing. The photographer needs to notice interesting moments rather than simply arrange every part of an image.
His interest in places such as Runyon Canyon also shows how location can become an important part of visual storytelling. People, architecture, landscapes, signs, objects, and clothing can all contribute to the atmosphere of a photograph.
This documentary approach exists alongside his professional editorial work. The combination gives his career a broader range than a photographer who focuses exclusively on one commercial category.
Van der Most Modern and His Design Interests
Photography eventually became only one part of van der Most’s creative work. He also became associated with Van der Most Modern, a furniture and décor business connected with vintage and mid-century design.
The business has been associated with Brooklyn and features carefully selected furniture and decorative objects, including Dutch pieces. This connection to Dutch design gives the business a personal link to van der Most’s background.
His interest in furniture is also consistent with his photographic education. Both photography and furniture involve visual judgment. A photographer considers how an object looks within a frame, while a furniture collector considers how a piece fits into a room and relates to surrounding objects.
Van der Most Modern has included vintage furniture and lighting, with design pieces connected to well-known designers and twentieth-century design movements. His work in this area has allowed him to combine collecting, design, visual presentation, and entrepreneurship.
Marriage to Michelle Buteau
Gijs van der Most is married to Michelle Buteau, a comedian, actress, writer, and producer whose career includes stand-up comedy, television, film, and Netflix projects. The couple met in 2008 and married in July 2010.
Their relationship began before Buteau became as widely recognized as she is today. In later interviews, Buteau has described van der Most as someone who supported her ambitions during the earlier stages of her comedy career.
In a 2026 interview with PEOPLE, Buteau spoke about the importance of communication in their marriage and described their professional lives as interconnected. She also said that he believed in her career potential before she fully saw where it could lead.
Their careers are quite different. Buteau works primarily in comedy and entertainment, while van der Most has worked in photography and design. Nevertheless, both have creative careers, and their professional lives have developed alongside their family life.
Family and Children
Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau have twins, Hazel and Otis. The children were born in 2019 through surrogacy after the couple experienced fertility challenges and pursued other options. PEOPLE has reported extensively on Buteau’s journey to motherhood and the couple’s decision to use a surrogate.
The family has generally maintained some privacy, although Buteau has occasionally discussed parenting and family life in interviews and comedy. Her public comments have also highlighted differences between her and her husband’s parenting styles and cultural backgrounds.
The twins have occasionally appeared in public discussions about Buteau’s family life. In 2026, Buteau told PEOPLE that watching Hazel and Otis grow into their individual personalities has become an important part of family life.
Van der Most’s role as a father is therefore another important part of his life, although he has generally remained less publicly visible than his wife.
Gijs van der Most’s Life Today
As of 2026, van der Most continues to be identified with photography, design, and his family life with Michelle Buteau. Recent coverage has focused particularly on the couple’s long marriage and their continued support for each other’s careers.
His professional story is notable because it developed independently from his wife’s entertainment career. His photography work began years before Buteau became a major television and Netflix personality, and his later involvement in furniture and design added another dimension to his creative career.
He has also appeared publicly with Buteau at events, including the 2025 Made in NY Awards in New York City. However, he generally maintains a quieter public profile than his wife.
There is limited reliable information about his current income, exact net worth, or private business finances. Numerous websites publish estimates, but these figures should not be treated as confirmed financial information without supporting documentation.
Conclusion
Gijs van der Most has built a career that combines photography, visual storytelling, design, and entrepreneurship. Originally from the Netherlands, he studied photographic design at HKU before developing professional photography work in the United States. His portfolio has included editorial and portrait assignments as well as documentary projects focused on everyday people and environments.
His creative interests later expanded into furniture and décor through Van der Most Modern, where Dutch and vintage design have played an important role. His photography and design work share an appreciation for composition, objects, people, and visual details.
Beyond his professional life, van der Most is known publicly as the husband of Michelle Buteau. The couple married in 2010 and welcomed twins, Hazel and Otis, in 2019 through surrogacy. Recent interviews with Buteau describe a long-term partnership built around communication, family, and mutual support.
Although much of his private life remains outside the public eye, the available information shows that Gijs van der Most has developed a creative career of his own. Photography, design, entrepreneurship, and family remain the central themes of his publicly documented story.
