In 1981 Marciano Brothers founded GUESS. GUESS has Grown from a denim Pioneer Into a global lifestyle brand, supported by sexy, spirited advertising that Has Become Iconic. Today, GUESS has over 1.500 retail stores worldwide and offers collections for men, women and children, as well as a wide range of accessories, from jewelry, fragrances, eyewear and timepieces to highly desirable shoes and bags.
The store in France was called MAG and was launched in about 1977. When the brother came to America they begin working on making a second clothing store. In 1981 the brothers founded a second store called GUESS. The Guess brand origin is from asking a question. But it was thought of by George (one of the brothers) on a long drive home to turn this GUESS word into a brand. The red color in the Guess logo represents love and passion. And the black colors stand for elegance and refinement. And lastly, the white stands for purity, integrity, and reliability of the GUESS brand. Guess is still a very popular brand and has many different types of products. From things like Watches, shoes, perfume, children’s clothing and so much more.
Paul Marciano: Paul was born in 1952 and is the youngest of the four. He was also the first to handle advertising and public relations at GUESS. And later became the president and chief operating officer of the company. He still holds that title today and many other titles as well. His 2nd wife is named Mareva Georges Marciano and she’s a model from France, and she also served as Miss Tahiti and Miss France.
Georges Marciano: He was born in 1947 and he was a great part of the guess company. After some time there he decides to sell his shares in the company and start something new of his own. Which was also a line of denim jeans and high fashion clothes.
Maurice Marciano: Maurice was born in 1949 was one of the designers of the clothes and did many other positions at GUESS. In 2012, he decided to retire from GUESS. After retiring he purchase a new mansion and made other investments.
Armand Marciano Armand was born in 1945, he was in charge of operations for GUESS for many years. In 2003 left the GUESS company to take part in a different project Involving women contemporary brand. His wife’s name is Tami Marciano and they both act as the co-manager of Kautzman Alliance LLC, which is a direct investment holding company.
The Story Began In 1981. Having Fallen In Love With Los Angeles On A Family Vacation, The Four Marciano Brothers, From The South Of France, Decided To Make It Their Home. The Brand Name Was Suggested By An Advertising Slogan They Saw Everyday On The Drive To Their Office: “Guess What’s In Our New Big Mac?” The Word Stuck In Their Minds. Soon It Became The Name On Their Headquarters Building On Olympic Boulevard, Just Down The Street From The Billboard That Had Inspired Them.
In love with americana, the brothers chose an american icon for their breakthrough product: a slim-fitting, stonewashed, three-zip ankle jean they called the marilyn jean. Defying the fact that stonewashing was rare in the US market – and potential skepticism about french gentlemen making such a symbolically american product – they sent a pair of jeans and a handwritten note to selected department stores. Bloomingdales loved the jeans, and ordered 24 pairs. The unique, sexy-cut style sold out within a few hours.
Within its first year in the US, GUESS made it into every major us department store, including Bergdorf Goodman, Bonwit Teller, Leiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. At a time when jeans were a workday staple of the american wardrobe, guess reclaimed denim for fashion by offering a wide range of innovative cuts and washes, with a stylish, coquettish attitude that perhaps only les français could achieve.
Then, of course, there was the advertising. it was entirely the brainchild of the youngest marciano brother, paul- with the glamorous world of guess so clearly fixed in his mind, he had no need for an agency. the campaigns would capture the allure of classic hollywood but feature utterly contemporary young women who defined the brand’s provocative spirit. the first “guess girl” was an unknown french model, estelle lefebure. others have been rather more famous: Claudia Schiffer, Carré Otis, Eva Herzigova, Laetitia Casta, Naomi Campbell, Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton…and a certain Carla Bruni, only 16 years old at the time.
As for the photographers, they’ve ranged from established names like ellen von unwerth to student daniela federici, who was plucked from film school by paul marciano in 1992 to shoot anna Nicole Smith. Wayne Maser, Herb Ritts, Dewey Nicks, Raphael Mazzucco, and Pablo Alfaro have also contributed to over three magical decades of images from the brand. Whether black and white or color, the guess advertising style is instantly recognizable- seductive people against inspiring backgrounds, hinting at a story that viewers can invent for themselves. Finally, it must be said that many of the guess girls are more curvy than those seen in most fashion advertising.
