- The company was established in 1981 in the US, by Paul Marciano and his brothers Maurice, Georges and Armand. The four brothers lived in Marseille, France, until 1977 when they moved to LA. Strange enough, none of them had any background in fashion. In fact, the family background was even further away from the industry: their father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all rabbis. First time Paul Marciano got in contact with the fashion industry? Well, he used to work in a denim shop in France. Then, while still in France, he launched his own clothing brand. After that, he moved to LA. And from here on it’s history.
- How did they come up with the name? “Guess” is inciting and when you see the name, you naturally go: “Guess what”?
- The first pair of jeans they launched was called Marilyn and it was a slim fit, sexy model. Bloomingdale’s loved their designs and ordered 24 pairs.
- In the beginning, Guess could not afford to pay well established models or celebrities, so they went for the ones at the beginning of their careers. Ironically, in a short time, they even helped them succeed. Who knew back then those people would become famous? And we’re talking names like Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Laetitia Casta and Eva Herzigova. To mark the 30th anniversary of the brand, Claudia Schiffer posed again for the brand.
- In 1984 Guess launched their first watch collection. Soon after that, they went into accessories and launched the iconic Guess jewelry.
- The Guess bags are well known all around the world. So known that they have their own award in The Independent Handbag Designer Awards competition, at a category called About the Logo by Guess Handbags. The designers are sending in three proposals with their vision of the Guess handbag. In 2015, the winner was Mary Lai, with a denim bag.
- Guess is a great supporter of education. Through the Guess Foundation and in partnership with the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), they grant two promising students annual scholarships covering a full academic year. “I believe there is nothing more valuable than a fresh and creative mind flourishing in education. The GUESS Scholars Program is just another way we can stand behind and support the next generation of fashion”, said Paul Marciano.
