Who Is Gijs van der Most? The Amazing Life Story of Michelle Buteau’s Dutch-Born Photographer Husband

Gijs van der Most is a Dutch-born portrait and documentary photographer, a furniture business owner, and the husband of American comedian and actress Michelle Buteau. Many readers first hear his name through Buteau’s stand-up routines and interviews, yet he has built a creative career of his own across Amsterdam, New York, and Los Angeles. This guide covers his background, photography, business, marriage, and family life, using his own website profile and published interviews. It also separates confirmed facts from unverified claims that circulate online, so you get a clear and reliable picture of who he is.

Gijs van der Most Bio at a Glance

Gijs van der Most is a Dutch photographer and entrepreneur who has been married to Michelle Buteau since July 2010. The table below collects the details that reliable sources confirm.

Detail	Information
Full name	Gijs van der Most
Nationality	Dutch
Profession	Portrait and documentary photographer, furniture business owner
Known for	Documentary photo series, Van der Most Modern, marriage to Michelle Buteau
Business	Van der Most Modern, a furniture and décor store reported in Bushwick, Brooklyn
Media role	Photo editor at Kaufmann Mercantile, according to his published profile
Spouse	Michelle Buteau (married July 2010)
Children	Two, a son and a daughter, twins born via surrogate in 2019
Places lived and worked	Amsterdam, New York, Los Angeles
Notable projects	Used Car Salesmen, Yard Sales, Sign Jugglers, I ♥ Runyon Canyon
Co-created project	The blog “van der THIS!” with Michelle Buteau
Official website	gijsvandermost.com
Date of birth	Not reliably published

Gijs keeps his private life low-key. That choice explains why some details, such as his exact birth date, do not appear in any trustworthy source. Several websites list a birth year or an age, but those figures conflict with one another, so this article leaves them out.

Early Life and Dutch Roots

Gijs van der Most grew up in the Netherlands and spent years working in Amsterdam before he moved to the United States. His own profile describes him as Dutch-born, and interviews with his wife confirm that he came to New York from Amsterdam.

Amsterdam shaped his visual taste. The city has a long tradition of documentary and portrait photography, and Dutch photographers often focus on ordinary people in everyday settings. That habit shows up clearly in his later work.

Publicly available sources say very little about his childhood, his family, or his education. Gijs has never given a long personal interview about those years, and this article does not guess at details that he has not shared.

His move across the Atlantic mattered for two reasons. It opened a new market for his photography, and it put him in the same city as the woman he would later marry.

Photography Career and Style

Gijs van der Most works as a portrait and documentary photographer, and his style is direct, personal, and often playful. A profile on CityLikeYou describes his images as having “a little wink,” and that phrase fits his habit of finding humor in real situations.

He is fascinated by people, their behavior, and their surroundings. Instead of staging polished scenes, he photographs subjects in their own environments and lets the setting tell the story.

He also treats each series as a complete body of work. The same profile notes that he does not waste a single image, which suggests a disciplined editing process.

Some online profiles list major magazines and brands among his clients, including Esquire, Men’s Health, People, and Fast Company. Because those lists come from secondary websites, treat them as reported rather than confirmed. His official website remains the best place to view his portfolio and verify his commercial work.

Beyond shooting, Gijs has worked in editing. His published profile says he served as photo editor for Kaufmann Mercantile, a style, culture, and design blog. That role shows his range, since choosing and sequencing images demands a different skill from taking them.

Documentary Projects That Define His Work

His best-known documentary series focus on offbeat American subcultures and everyday rituals. These projects include Used Car Salesmen, Yard Sales, Sign Jugglers, and I ♥ Runyon Canyon.

Used Car Salesmen looks at a profession that comedians and filmmakers often mock. Gijs approaches it with curiosity, which turns a familiar stereotype into a set of individual portraits.

Yard Sales and Sign Jugglers follow the same pattern. Both series document public, informal scenes that most people walk past without a second look. Both reward close attention to gestures, clothing, and small details.

I ♥ Runyon Canyon captures the social life of a popular Los Angeles hiking spot, where fitness, fashion, and people-watching overlap. The project reflects his move to the West Coast and his interest in how people behave in shared spaces.

Together, these series show a consistent method. He picks an ordinary subject, studies it patiently, and presents it with warmth and a light sense of humor.

The Blog “van der THIS!” and a Creative Partnership

Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau co-created a blog called “van der THIS!” that combined photography with comedy. His profile describes it as a miniseries that is both eye-catching and entertaining.

The project matched their strengths. Gijs supplied the images, and Michelle supplied the voice, the jokes, and the storytelling.

It also showed how naturally their careers overlap. Buteau has built her reputation on funny, honest stories about her own life, and a photographer who studies people suits that style well.

Although the blog is not their most visible work today, it marks an early moment when the couple shared a creative platform instead of working in separate lanes.

Van der Most Modern: His Furniture Business

Gijs van der Most owns and curates Van der Most Modern, a furniture and décor business. According to Blavity, the company describes its inventory as an eclectic collection of furniture and décor pieces that he selects himself.

The business has an online store, and Blavity reports that it also operates a physical shop in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Store details can change, so check the official website before you plan a visit.

The venture fits his personality. A photographer who studies shapes, light, and surroundings also tends to have a strong eye for design, and curating furniture lets him apply that eye to objects people use every day.

Entrepreneurship also gives him an independent professional identity. While Buteau works in television, film, and live comedy, Gijs runs a business that depends on his own taste and judgment.

How Gijs van der Most Met Michelle Buteau

Gijs van der Most met Michelle Buteau in New York in the late 2000s, and the couple married in July 2010. Buteau has told interviewers that she approached dating casually at the time and did not expect the relationship to become serious.

In a 2024 conversation with NPR, she described what began as something casual, and she has joked in public that her husband started as a fun time rather than a long-term plan.

According to Sportskeeda’s profile of the couple, they spent about two years in a long-distance relationship before they decided to build a life together. Buteau has said she never thought she would get married, which makes the story more charming.

They celebrated twelve years of marriage in July 2023. Buteau marked the occasion on social media with a photo of the two of them in Dutch outfits and a caption that played on the phrase “go Dutch.”

Their relationship has lasted well over a decade, and reports as of 2025 confirm that they remain married.

Parenthood, IVF, and Surrogacy

Gijs and Michelle became parents in January 2019, when their twins, a son and a daughter, were born through a surrogate. The path to parenthood was long and difficult.

Buteau has spoken openly about trying IVF before the couple chose surrogacy. She has also shared that a medical condition made pregnancy hard for her, and she has credited Gijs with encouraging her to consider surrogacy after he watched her struggle.

Buteau describes her children as a “rainbow at the end of the storm,” according to reports on her announcement. She has used her platform to discuss surrogacy openly, which helps normalize an option that many families consider but rarely discuss in public.

Michelle has also joked that she parents with more intensity, while Gijs takes a more relaxed approach. That contrast appears often in her comedy.

This article does not name the children. Their parents have shared some details publicly, but sources disagree on specifics, and respecting the privacy of minors is the better editorial choice.

Life in the Spotlight and Privacy

Gijs van der Most stays out of the spotlight even though his wife is a household name. He appears in her stories, her posts, and her stand-up material, but he rarely gives solo interviews.

Buteau’s career has grown fast. She hosts the Netflix series The Circle, stars in Survival of the Thickest, and wrote an essay collection with the same title. Through all of it, Gijs has stayed a steady and mostly quiet presence behind the scenes.

Reports also place him in Los Angeles, where his official profile lists him as based. The couple previously lived in New York, and Buteau’s work has taken them across both coasts.

His low profile means online claims about him need careful checking. Many pages repeat unverified numbers for his net worth, birth date, or career milestones, and those pages often contradict one another. Stick to his official website, direct interviews with Buteau, and established outlets when you want accurate information.

Why His Story Resonates

Gijs van der Most appeals to readers because his story combines art, business, and a long marriage in a way that feels grounded. He did not seek fame, and he still built a recognizable career.

His work also shows how a creative person can support a partner’s rise without disappearing into it. Buteau has described him as a source of material and a source of stability, and he has pursued his own projects at the same time.

Readers who enjoy celebrity biographies and partner profiles can find more stories like this on Papular Press. If you want broader context on the comedian he married, our entertainment coverage at Papular Press also tracks her career, and the Michelle Buteau page on Wikipedia offers a general overview of her work.

For background on the process that shaped their family, the Wikipedia article on surrogacy explains how it works in general terms.

Conclusion

Gijs van der Most is more than the husband of a famous comedian. He is a Dutch-born photographer with a distinct documentary style, a furniture business owner, and a father who has stood beside his wife through a hard fertility journey. His work, his marriage, and his family life all point to a man who values curiosity, humor, and privacy in equal measure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Gijs van der Most?

Gijs van der Most is a Dutch-born portrait and documentary photographer and furniture business owner. He is best known as the husband of American comedian and actress Michelle Buteau. He has worked in Amsterdam, New York, and Los Angeles, and he keeps most of his personal life private.

What does Gijs van der Most do for a living?

Gijs van der Most works as a photographer and runs Van der Most Modern, a furniture and décor business. His published profile also says he worked as photo editor for Kaufmann Mercantile. His photography focuses on people, behavior, and everyday environments, often with a light and humorous touch.

Is Gijs van der Most married to Michelle Buteau?

Yes. Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau married in July 2010. They celebrated twelve years of marriage in July 2023, and reports from 2025 confirm that they remain together. Buteau often mentions her husband in her stand-up, interviews, and social media posts.

Where is Gijs van der Most from?

Gijs van der Most is from the Netherlands. He worked in Amsterdam before moving to the United States, where he later lived in New York and Los Angeles. His official profile describes him as a Dutch-born photographer currently based in Los Angeles.

How did Gijs van der Most meet Michelle Buteau?

They met in New York in the late 2000s. Buteau has said she approached dating casually at that time. The two spent about two years in a long-distance relationship before they decided to build a life together and marry in 2010.

Does Gijs van der Most have children?

Yes. Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau have two children, a son and a daughter. The twins were born in January 2019 through a surrogate after the couple tried IVF. Buteau has spoken openly about surrogacy, though the couple protects their children’s privacy.

What is Van der Most Modern?

Van der Most Modern is a furniture and décor business that Gijs van der Most founded and curates. Its inventory features carefully chosen pieces, and Blavity reports that it operates an online store plus a physical shop in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Check the official website for current details.

What are Gijs van der Most’s best-known photography projects?

His best-known documentary series include Used Car Salesmen, Yard Sales, Sign Jugglers, and I ♥ Runyon Canyon. Each project studies ordinary people in public settings with curiosity and humor. He also co-created the blog “van der THIS!” with Michelle Buteau.

What is Gijs van der Most’s net worth?

No reliable source confirms his net worth. Some websites publish estimates, but those figures come without evidence or consistent methods, so they are not trustworthy. Gijs has never shared his finances publicly, and this article does not repeat unverified numbers.

Does Gijs van der Most have a Wikipedia page?

No separate, established Wikipedia biography for him appears in the sources reviewed for this article. Readers can find general information about his wife on her Wikipedia page. For his own work, his official website at gijsvandermost.com is the most reliable source.