STYLE Guess,anAmerican dream
FromBandol,FrancetoLosAngeles,alookbackattheMarcianobrothers' entrepreneurialadventureindenim.
BYVICKYCHAHINEIthappenedbackin1989.YetPaulMarciano stillrememberstheembarrassedsilenceof histwobrotherswhentheyfirstsawthe campaignthatchangedthecourseofGuess history:aclose-upblack-and-white photographofClaudiaSchiffertakenby EllenvonUnwerth.TheGermanmodelwas wearingnothingbutavintagecorset.The brightredtriangularlogowastheonlynod tothebrandthatPaul,MauriceandGeorges Where'sthe Imusthaveheard thatsentencetwothousandtimes!My brotherscouldn'tunderstandwhynoneof thebrand'sclothesappeared.Forme,itwas clear:Iwantedtocreateanimagethat peoplewouldremember.I'vealwaysmade filmsi GuessCreativeDirector PaulMarcianoexplainedtoFrench magazineLePointinararepressappearance (hislastinterviewwasovertenyearsago). Afewyearsearlier,in1987,histwobrothers hadevensidelinedhimafterdiscoveringthat hehadshotimagesofbullfightersin Seville...beforewelcominghimbackinto thefold.NotasingleGuessproductinthe photos,butanestheticinspiredbythefilm TheMagnificentSeven,withanaudacitythat setitapartfromotherfashionmagazine campaigns.Thatvisualhallmarkcanalsobe foundinthecoffee-tablebookAFourth DecadeofGuess?Imagesreleasedthisyear, thefourthsinceGuesswasfoundedin1981.
childhood.Whenheskippedschoolasa 10-YEAR-OLD,HEwouldrushtothe arthousecinemaonBoulevardVaubanin Marseille,astone'sthrowfromthefamily home.Duringthoseyearsoftruancy,he discoveredtheworkofJean-LucGodard andLuchinoVisconti,thefilmsLaDolce Vita,AndGodCreatedWoman,andThe Misfits.Eversince,hehashadanobsession withthreeiconswhoremainhiscanonsof beautytothisday:SophiaLoren,Brigitte BardotandMarilynMonroe.Thosestars werehonoredinGuesscampaignsfronted Guessisastoryofdaring andnerve,afablewhose protagonistsfall,but managetogetbackup again.
ParisHiltonandGigiHadid.WhilePaul Marcianoneverceasedtoglorifyhisthree icons,healsohadallthemodern-daystars tomakeourcampaigns,soweusedpeople whowerejuststartingout.Iremember sellingjacketsatafleamarket,andthefirst campaignsforEvaHerzigovaanda16year-oldCarlaBruni.Thesmallbudgetwe hadallowedustopayfashionmagazinesto publishthoseimag Guessstoryisoneofaccident,opportunity
TheFrenchentrepreneurwhomadehis fortuneinLosAngeleslikestotellthat storyofluck.It'sthestoryofthreebrothers whogrewupinMarseilleandsetuptheir ownjeansbusinesswithseasonalstoresin thecoastalresortsofBandol,Cassis,and LaCiotat.In1970,avisittoMarseilleby thefraudsquadpromptedthemtomoveto thewestcoastoftheUS,whosesunand beachesappealedtothem."Ourtwo-week vacationturnedintoatwo-monthstay. WhenwereturnedtoFrance,weowned twostoresandahouseinLosAngeles,even thoughwecouldbarelyspeakEnglish! Everyday,wethinkbacktothattax inspectorwhofinallyallowedustolivethe
PaulMarcianolikedhiscampaignsoffbeat.Above, CarlaBruniorabullfighterinSeville,1987.
AnunprecedentedcutGuessisa storyofdaringandnerve,afablewhose protagonistsfall,butmanagetogetback upagain.Anencapsulationofthe Americandream.Afteropeningseveral stores,thethreebrothersdecidedtoleave fashionandgointorealestate.Withthe economyinabadwayandinterestratesat 21%underPresidentCarter,thethreeof themlosteverythingandlivedinthesame apartment. weknewhowtodo:jeans.Welaunched theMarilyn,withthreezippers,astone wash,unheardofintheUnitedStatesat thetime,andanabove-averagepriceof $79. from?Adiscussioninacarafterseeing Guesswhat's Thebrandbegan with600piecesmadeindowntownLos Angeles,beforeentrustingafewmodelsto arepresentativewhovisitedBergdorf GoodmanandBloomingdale'sdepartment storesinNewYork.Twenty-fourpiecesWAYNE
Guessaimstoinnovateinitschoiceofmodels(here,Estelle cutofitsjeansandthewaytheyare washed.
weresoldintwodays,twothousandina Thatmodelwasrevolutionary, withitsnew,verytightcut,inanerathat glorifiedthemuscularbodiesofJane Fonda'saerobicsclassesOfcourse,you hadtoliedowntoputyourjeanson,butthe TheAmericandream continued,andthejeansrangeexpanded, followedveryquicklybymen's,children's, babyandwatchlines,atatimewhenfashion brandswerenot(yet)thinkingabout Betweentheendofthe1980s andthe1990s,weweremakingupto 500,000pairsofjeansaweekinvarious downtownworkshops
In2024,Guesssellsjeansforbetween theUSA,andhaslaunchedapremiumline calledMarciano.Listedonthestock exchange,thecompanyhas1,560storesand employs12,000people.Eachemployeeis giventwosmallcards,onesettingoutthe includebelieving,trustingandnever forgettingyourroots. TheAmericandreamliveson.Hisson Nicolaihascertainlygottenthememo, havingworkedalongsidehimfortenyears.
1,560
STORES
12,000
EMPLOYEES
1981
Creationofthebrandbythe Marcianobrothers
1989
ClaudiaSchiffer'sfirsticonic blackandwhitecampaignby EllenvonUnwerth
1992
FirstcollectionsofGuessbags
1999
Guess.comiscreated
2004
LaunchofMarcianobyGuess
2024
LaunchofGuessAirwash
Likeme,hehasattentiondeficitdisorder, sohetoostoppedschoolearlyAfter spendingtimeinChinaandthenFlorence, hejoinedGuessandtrainedinthe warehouse,thecuttingworkshopandthe washingprocess.He'salwayshadagood eye.In2016,hesuggestedacollaboration withrapperA$APRocky[Rihanna's husband].Iwasrighttotrusthim:thehours peoplespentwaitinginlineinfrontofour storesinLosAngeles,NewYork,Milanand PaulMarciano endedupleavingthekeystoabuildingtohis sonsothathecouldcreateacollectionthere. Nicolaispentsometimestudyingthe archivesandcameupwithhispersonal
GuessJeans,waslaunchedinJanuaryatthe highlyinfluentialPittiImmagineUomo105 men'sfashiontradefair.Inparticular,he presentedasustainabletechnological innovation:GuessAirwash.Thisexclusive newwashreplacesenergy-guzzlingstone withlightandair,reducingwater sof
visibleoneverybusandtaxionthestreetsof Florence.Tobecontinued,astheysayinLos Angeles
AFourthDecadeofGuess?Images,Guess,2024.
2694|March21,2024|