Guess Inc. will be launching the brand’s first-ever curated vintage collection in Hollywood this April, featuring 150 authentic Guess pieces from the 80s and 90s to celebrate the brand’s nearly 40 years in business, plus a new focus on sustainability.
Designer Sean Wotherspoon of Round Two has curated the collection, partnering with Guess to collect dozens of vintage deadstock items as a part of a buyback program to create a special collection for the “nostalgia-loving customer.” The collaboration will feature pieces for both men and women, including jeans, denim and leather jackets, T-shirts and sweatshirts “sourced from around the globe.”
Consumers, however, shouldn’t expect a wide release. The collection will be sold exclusively at Fred Segal on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood during an event that will be held from April 10-29. At launch, visitors will be able to take part the first of three events to be held over that period, joining in a “customization experience” at the store using deadstock vintage T-shirt blanks from Guess archives to create designs of their own.
Nicolai Marciano, director of brand partnerships for Guess Inc. and Guess Jeans USA, and the son of Guess co-founder Paul Marciano, said the event will be a way for the brand to capitalize on popular youth trends while bringing attention to Guess’ illustrious past.
“With the explosion of vintage culture over the past decade, Sean and I wanted to join our community in the celebration of Guess archival pieces that have stood the test of time,” Marciano said in a statement.
Guess has yet to reveal the details behind the next two events at Fred Segal leading up to Earth Day on April 22, but its marketing department has started pushing the hashtag #GUESSVintage on social media, suggesting the brand may have more plans to work with vintage deadstock in the future.
Using circular product like deadstock and vintage can help to create a more sustainable fashion industry, Guess said, noting that simply extending the life of one garment by just nine months could curb the industry’s overall impact by 20 percent to 30 percent. Additionally, Guess said the program will help educate consumers on the realities of denim production, like the fact that nearly 500 gallons of water are saved for every pair of jeans bought deadstock or vintage—i.e., the amount of water required to wash and dye a traditional pair of jeans.
Since announcing its intention to escalate the promotion of sustainability within its organization in 2017, Guess says is has retrofitted more than 175 stores in the U.S. and Canada with LED lighting and reduced its carbon footprint by 10 percent. In March, Guess also announced that it would be launching a sustainable capsule in partnership with Candiani Denim.
In related news, the new owner of Fred Segal, Global Icons, relayed at end of March that it had plans to expand on the Sunset Boulevard location and bring its products to more consumers in the coming years.