The story
Founded by Georges Marciano and Maurice Marciano in 1981, in Los Angeles.1
20th century
Guess began in 1981 as a book of styles started by Moroccan fashion designers Georges, Maurice, Armand, and Paul Marciano. The brothers switched to selling jeans with a light, form-fitting denim and zippers at the ankles. Guess began offering licensed products, including watches, eyewear, and a fragrance line.
In 1985, it introduced black-and-white advertisements, which went on to win numerous design awards. Its fashion models have included a number of supermodels, many of whom first achieved prominence via these ad campaigns. In the 1985 Robert Zemeckis movie, Back to the Future, Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) wore Guess's denim clothing.
Georges had wanted to sell Guess products in only the more exclusive stores, such as Bloomingdale's, while the other brothers decided on a broader distribution strategy, which included discount stores. Georges continued to oppose the idea of marketing Guess products beyond luxury retail outlets, and different alliances formed within the company.
Georges abruptly sold his stake in the company to his brothers in September 1993, for $214.2 million. To finance the purchase, the remaining three brothers borrowed $210 million, and $105 million was still outstanding three years later. To raise money, the brothers took Guess public in July 1996.
By the end of the 1990s, sales dropped and Guess reduced its expansion plans to concentrate on improving investment returns.
21st century
On January 26, 2001, Guess Inc. restated previous results for fiscal year 2000 after writing down impaired inventory. In 2004, the accessories department was greatly expanded and several stores across the US were redesigned. Guess also created a lower priced collection sold exclusively through its outlet locations, and introduced its first brand extension, the upscale female line of clothing and accessories, named Marciano.
Guess continued its Guess Kids clothing line in the early 21st century. In 2006, it began promoting the line through its factory retail stores. It continued to be guided by the Marciano brothers, as co-chairmen and co-CEOs. Maurice Marciano has overseen the design and its sales growth, while Paul managed the image and advertising.
In 2012, supermodel Claudia Schiffer posed for Guess's 30th anniversary, 23 years after her first posing for the brand. The following year, by being the face of their holiday campaign, Priyanka Chopra became the first Indian to represent the brand on a global scale.
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After Camila Cabello was announced as the new face of Guess in 2017, Jennifer Lopez became its new face the following year. In February 2019, four years after Victor Herrero replaced Paul Marciano in the role, Carlos Alberini was selected as his successor as CEO.
In August 2025, it was announced that the company had gone private after Authentic Brands, Alberini, and brothers Maurice and Paul Marciano agreed to buy 51% of Guess's IP in a transaction valued at $1.4 billion. Previously, it had considered an offer with a lower valuation made in April by WHP Global.
When it was announced that the purchase of Guess had been completed in January 2026, its management continued to operate the business following the transaction. Guess went private and delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. The newly-structured company opened a flagship store in West Hollywood as a 'Homecoming' concept store.
In November 2024 and February 2026, the company gathered attention for doing catwalks in the Alpine resort of Gstaad at the height of winter, the first of which was at 3000m and one of the highest catwalks in the world and hence described as one of the first of its kind
From Wikipedia’s article on Guess (company), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.8