Guess

It all began in 1981

The iconic brand Guess takes the renowned glamour of Hollywood and mixes it with hints of natural French chic. It offers luxury, high-end collections for men, women and children along with a range of accessories including jewellery, fragrances, glasses and watches.

The company was founded by the Marciano brothers Georges, Maurice, Armand and Paul in 1981. Originally from the South of France, they took family holidays to Los Angeles and fell in love with the city. They decided to make the move and permanently live in the United States.

Inspiration

When trying to come up with a distinctive brand name, they took inspiration from an advertising slogan they saw everyday on the drive into their office: “Guess what’s in our new Big Mac?” The word stuck and it soon became the name on the door of their office building, not far from the billboard which had inspired them.

The Marilyn Jean

Originally the company was started with a book of styles, however the brothers began to sell jeans using a light, figure fitting denim which featured zips at the ankle, they named them the ‘Marilyn Jean’. The denim was stonewashed which was an unusual style in the American market and the brothers had received some scepticism about French men making a symbolically American product.

Trying to get their product noticed the brothers sent a pair of Jeans along with a handwritten note to selected department stores in the hope of receiving an order. Bloomingdales were the first to love the jeans and ordered twenty four pairs…they sold out within a few hours of going on sale.

This was just the start and during its first year working within the US, GUESS products were available to buy in every major US department store, including the infamous Saks, Fifth Avenue. Although jeans were a staple item for an American work wardrobe, the brothers adapted denim to offer a variety of stylish cuts and washes, turning it into a must-have fashion item.

Following the success of the clothing lines, the company began to produce other high-end products including watches, glasses, eyewear and a fragrance line. By 1984 the company had introduced ‘Guess Steel’ and the ‘Guess Collection’ which were its line of timepieces along with ‘Baby Guess’ its baby clothing line.

Advertising

Paul, the youngest Marciano brother was in charge of advertising, he understood the company’s tone and captured the classic Hollywood feel mixed with contemporary young women to define the brand.

‘Guess Girls’ became synonymous with the brand and have included many famous models including Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer alongside other celebrities like Anna Nicole Smith and Paris Hilton. The youngest was Carla Bruni aged just sixteen years old.

Much of the advertising was shot in black and white, however even in colour, their style is immediately recognisable with inspiring backgrounds and hints of stories that viewers can decide.

Film

In Robert Zemeckis’ 1985 film, Back to the Future the lead character, Marty McFly, played by Michael J Fox wore Guess denim clothing. It was reported that these items for the film wardrobe were designed especially for it.

Branching Out

It was the wish of Georges to only sell their products to more exclusive stores like Bloomingdales, however the other brothers all agreed that they should distribute their products to a broader audience, including discount stores. Unhappy and unable to find a compromise, Georges sold his share of the company to his brothers in September 1993 for the sum of $214.2 million. In order to finance the purchase the remaining trio had to borrow the money, this debt took several years to reduce in size, however it could be cleared completely. Therefore they decided to take the company public.

The brothers had many expansion plans for the business, however a decline in sales meant GUESS had to reduce and modify its plans and concentrate on improving its investment returns. One of the results of this improvement was the brand’s accessories department which underwent expansion and several stores were redesigned.

Another improvement was in an area they had always wanted to offer, the creation and launch of a new lower priced collection. This collection was sold exclusively in outlet locations. An upscale female line of clothing and accessories was also introduced, named Marciano.

GUESS has grown from a denim pioneer into a global lifestyle brand. The company is present across the world, although a majority of its stores are in the United States and Canada.

Website: www.guess.com Founders: Armand Marciano, Georges Marciano, Maurice Marciano, Paul Marciano Founded: 1981 Headquarters: Los Angeles, United States