A History of GUESS and GUESS Watches
The GUESS founders and majority owners, Maurice and Paul, were raised in the south of France, a region that cultivates a passionate understanding of French design and the essence of style. Combining their love of the American West with a European sensibility, they created GUESS.
GUESS started in 1981 as a small California jeans company. In the early 80s, fashion denim had little direction. People felt that denim was dated, and jeans were not considered a fashion statement. The Marciano brothers would change that perception forever. Their designs were timeless, sensuous, strong and chic. The GUESS approach was fresh and set the standard for the future of denim. Initially, retailers greeted GUESS with skepticism. Buyers weren't interested in denim, but the brothers' infallible instincts and persistence prevailed. Their 3-zip Marilyn jean was sexy, with a unique style and attitude. Bloomingdale's finally agreed to sell two-dozen pairs of the 3-zip Marilyn jean as a favor to the Marciano brothers. Within hours, the entire stock was sold out. The GUESS label was born and would become one of the world's most recognized and influential brand names.
With striking images and fresh new products, the brand gained momentum and nationwide recognition. In the 80s, GUESS product expanded beyond men's and women's jeans, as Baby GUESS, GUESS Watches, GUESS Footwear, GUESS Eyewear and GUESS Parfum were created. The 90s saw rapid international expansion, bringing the GUESS American tradition to Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, Australia and the Middle East. |
