GUESS wears PINK

GUESS Foundation continues to pursue its commitment to international social change and wellbeing for all with a new fundraising initiative to mark the international Breast Cancer Awareness month in 2022.

To support the cause, the brand launched a GUESS Pink Day Sale and an internal ‘Wear Pink’ campaign to raise funds for the non-profit IEO-MONZINO Foundation in Milan, the only Italian organization that exclusively and directly finances research and treatments for oncological and cardiological patients at the European Institute of Oncology and the Centro Cardiologico Monzino (Monzino Center of Cardiology), with the aim of supporting innovative research projects and identifying the most effective treatments.

The first initiative was a 24-hour GUESS sale on 10th October, which offered a 25% discount on select products from the brand’s clothing, accessories and lifestyle range, with a donation of 5€ to the IEO-MONZINO Foundation for each purchase, with the pledge to donate €25.000 to the cause even in the event the sales target was not reached.

Meanwhile, through a series of internal emails, social media and video campaigns, the GUESS Wears PINK breast cancer awareness campaign on 13th October saw staff from all of its offices and stores worldwide come to work dressed in pink; an initiative that proved highly popular among all genders.

GUESS collaborates with French influencer Mayadorable, who has a +1M Instagram following, to curate a new Spring/Summer 2023 limited edition of Eco denim musthaves that combine the influencer’s love of fashion and effortless style with the brand’s iconic flair for denim and commitment to sustainability. Co-created by Maya in collaboration with the GUESS design team, this super fashionable and versatile 6-piece edit is inspired by the influencer’s love of Noughties fashion, an element that also stands out in the Parisian photo shoot with its distinctive turn-of-the millennium vibe. Another important feature of the collection is the use of eco-friendly fabrics and more sustainable dyeing techniques, organic cotton and upcycled materials, right down to the stitching and labels. The GUESS by Mayadorable capsule collection will be debuted exclusively in France at 13 Galleries Lafayette stores for three weeks in February 2023, before being released at the GUESS Étienne Marcel and St Lazare flagships in Paris, Montpellier and Marseille Grand Littoral, and on the guess. eu/fr website.

Since the launch of its first store in 1994, GUESS has gone from strength-to-strength and now has a retail presence of 1,064 directly managed stores, with a further 566 independently-operated GUESS and Marciano retail stores and outlets across the globe.

As part of the process to elevate the brand, GUESS and Marciano are rolling out a new store concept in all new stores, together with the gradual refit of existing stores.

The past four years have been a time of great expansion for GUESS, as the group continues to forge ahead with the launch and refit of numerous flagship and lifestyle stores across the globe.

Launched in May 2019, in Barcelona, the new store concept, which is being rolled out on a worldwide scale, plays on an essential yet striking contrast of textured, geometric wall features, lacquered wall panels, titanium inserts and a minimal use of slender, modular furnishings that create a sense of light and space and an intuitive flow through the store and its various accessories, denim and apparel areas.

Stores are a key pillar in representing the attributes of the brand and provide a tool for new customer acquisition. To achieve this, the company has embarked on a remodeling program that will touch rough- ly 630 stores. Together with the new stores, they represent 80% of the entire fleet in Europe and North America. GUESS continues to invest in technology and eco-friendly production and operational processes across the supply chain, including upgrades to the store infrastructure to drive efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

On the 4th of August 2022 GUESS launched its first combined Fashion and Lifestyle store of its kind in Europe in Milan, Italy in Piazza San Babila. The store was specifically designed with a focus on nature, a concept further emphasized throughout the store with the introduction of an exotic hot house garden, and energy-saving lighting system that mimics natural daylight. Covering a total area of 380 sqm, the renovated former-flagship extends over two floors, with a 150 sqm retail space on the ground floor and a 230 sqm basement floor which not only showcase all of the brand’s denim, jewelry, accessories, gifts and Marcia- no offering but also the exclusive GUESS Home collection. The décor plays on an eclectic yet harmonious combination of colors and contrasting materials. Glossy mahogany wall panels are alternated with black tempered glass and satin brass, cement and brightly colored panels, offset by a pale gres-effect floor which adds additional light and airiness to the interior. Inside, the gently meandering yet minimal floorplan leads the shopper on an intuitive browse through the store, with its easyon-the eye natural lighting, wifi area, LCD walls promoting the latest GUESS advertising campaigns, light box menus, weave-design flooring and textured wall features inspired by Abstract art and Spatialism.

Another important store opening in Italy was the Marciano by GUESS store in Florence, Via Calimala that opened on April 14th, last year. Inside a historic building with a stone facade that perfectly reflects the charm of the ancient Tuscan city and in an important pedestrian artery between the Ponte Vecchio and Piazza Duomo. In one of the liveliest areas in the center of Florence, already home to numerous boutiques of the most renowned brands, without forgetting the famous Hotel of the same name.

In line with the new Marciano by GUESS concept, the store features a minimalist aesthetic, complemented by white and lacquered walls with glossy mahogany, tempered glass and matt anthracite metal finishes. The floors recall the same tones, in shades of lime and dull gray. The final touch is given by the beige and burgundy carpet and the fabrics in an elegant gunmetal shade. The large exhibition space of 123 m2 hosts the Marciano collection, alongside a refined selection of bags, shoes and jewelery.

In the second semester of 2022, the most recent in the brand’s expansion strategy was the unveiling of two new flagships in Italy, in Via del Corso in Rome, and the Via Mazzini high street, in Verona, both of which are in the heart of the cities’ historic center and major shopping districts. The new openings bring the brand’s Italian retail portfolio up to 84 flagships and 26 outlets across all segments (i.e., Jeans, Accessories, Kids and Marciano), with further store openings programmed nationwide in the years to come.

In October 2022 GUESS unveiled a new flagship store at the recently opened Dreiländer Galerie shopping mall in the German town of Weil am Rhein. Also known as the ‘Three Countries Mall’, this three-level shopping destination is home to a wide variety of international brands and also has a food court, supermarket, fitness facilities, cultural attractions, and a carpark that can accommodate 580 cars. With the added advantage of being close to the border of Switzerland and France, this premium, multinational retail mecca has excellent transport connections, thanks to the regional S-Bahn station, the S8 tram station and the newly built tram line from the Swiss border in Basel. With the complex’s high footfall of local, cross-border and overnight visitors, the 188-sqm flagship provides GUESS with an attractive showcase for its extensive range of denim, apparel, footwear, and accessories. An intelligent combination of colour, materials and elements add a bright and airy feel to the store, which puts the spotlight on the clothes while providing customers with an intuitive shopping experience. Another key element of the GUESS store concept is an updated accessories corner and expanded “Denim Destination” area, with a central denim table and denim menu lightbox with images of the brand’s iconic fits, signposted by a white “Denim is our world” LED light. The store brought GUESS’ retail portfolio in Germany up to at 16 flagship, 12 outlets and several pop-up stores, with further openings in programme across the continent over the coming years.