Guess Virginia

Guess designs and markets a range of apparel and accessories for a large market base and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with about 8,800 employees. It is a popular American name-brand clothing line that uses a question mark (?) as its emblem. Guess is known for its sexualized advertising campaigns, which have featured explicit black-and-white photographs of fashion models and actresses such as Claudia Schiffer, Adriana Lima, Drew Barrymore, Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton and Jordan.Guess also markets other fashion accessories besides clothes, such as watches and jewelry. They also own the line Marciano. Guess sells its products in retail stores like Macy*s, Nordstrom and Lord and Taylor, but also has its own stores around the United States. Customers can also easily order merchandise through the company website at www.guess.com.

Guess was founded by Georges, Armand, Paul, and Maurice Marciano, four brothers born in Algeria but who supposedly grew up in the south of France and were influenced by the culture and style in the region. They moved to California in 1977 and founded the company in 1981. Seed money to start the business came from the Nakash family, owners of the Jordache denim empire. Their first product was a three-zipper style of jeans they named "Marilyn". Department stores and fashion critics were initially reluctant to carry the new 'stone washed denim' jeans, but in December when Bloomingdale's finally agreed with Georges to stock two dozen pairs of the new jeans as a favor to the brothers. They sold out quickly. Today, the Marciano brothers continue to guide the corporation as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of Guess, Inc. Maurice has overseen the design and its sales growth, while Paul manages the image and advertising. The company operates in many countries around the world with the majority of their stores located in the United States and Canada.

In 2004, Guess celebrated the 20th anniversary of its watch collection, issuing a special-edition Guess watch. The accessories department was also greatly expanded and several stores across the United States were redesigned. Guess also created a lower priced collection sold exclusively through its outlet locations and its companion website.

During the same time, Guess also introduced its first brand extension, the up-scale female line of clothing and accessories, named Marciano. The line features pricey, runway-inspired styles, and is featured in several retail locations throughout the world, as well as select Guess retail stores. In 2005 Guess began marketing perfume. The company introduced Guess for Women in the spring of 2005. Guess introduced the Guess for Men line in the spring of 2006. Guess has also continued its Guess Kids clothing line into the 2000s, and in 2006, Guess began promoting the clothing line for girls and boys through its factory retail stores.

Guess has begun making strides in order to improve the overall image of their company lately. It wants to improve the image of their line to enhance it's public standing as high-class, and exclusive. Guess has also pushed the idea of "sales" or "discounts" out of their main sales strategies. Its competitor, Chanel, a luxury brand known for its handbags are never discounted or put on sale; this focus allows the company to maintain a strictly exclusive name. Unlike Chanel, Guess doesn't have to worry about counterfeit clothing or designs -- compared to Chanel, Guess is placed in a much lower price-range.

From the beginning, it has been a part of Guess philosophy to continue to give back to the community, support humanity and protect the environment, from issues of women’s health to the earth at large, Guess has been, and will continue to be committed to nurturing a peaceful and healthy world.

Guess supports Invisible Children, Inc., which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing financial resources to former child soldiers in Northern Uganda. All the proceeds from a special edition Invisible Children Shirts will go toward this foundation. Also, Guess Watches has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen for the Cute Organization to offer a G2G Sparkling Pink Guess Watch that is sold for $100. The watch is an adjustable bangle style with a steel linked bracelet adorned with G Guess logos. It is decorated with 81 pink Swarovski stones designed in the shape of the breast cancer ribbons. Furthermore, Brand G by Guess teamed up with the Boys & Girls Club of America to support programs that improves academic performance, prevent drug and alcohol use, curb violence, and strengthen families. G by Guess stores gave away a complimentary tote bag to customers who donated $5 to the Boys & Girls club during a specific period of time. To date, more than $51,000 has been raised by Guess for the Boys & Girls Club.

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