LONDON — Nicolai Marciano’s new label Guess Jeans has named model Iris Law its first ambassador.
The Brazilian photographer Rafael Pavarotti photographed the campaign, which depicts Law lying on a brown leather sofa wearing a two-piece denim outfit. In another image, she’s sitting on a chair.
“Iris represents the reimagination of the iconic Guess girl imagery through the lens of Guess Jeans,” said Marciano, creative director of the new label, his first commercial project as chief new business development officer of Guess Inc.
Law is the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost and has fronted campaigns for brands including Versace, Burberry and Jimmy Choo.
“Drawing inspiration from the past 40 years of industry-defining Guess girls, Iris’ innovative perspective on style and femininity embodies the classic allure that has defined the Guess brand,” he added.
As reported earlier this year, the new Guess Jeans label incorporates brand elements from the 1980s with modern styles. It will hit the e-commerce world and retail stores in June, launching in about 800 doors in Europe, including Galeries Lafayette. There are also talks with major U.S. retailers and independent stores.
The label is touting a sustainable initiative, Guess Airwash, a technology that uses air and bubbles instead of water for its stonewashed denim.
Jeanologia, whose mission is to create an ethical, sustainable and eco-efficient textile industry, came up with the technology, and Guess has exclusivity on the process for a short time.
Guess Jeans plans to reveal more campaigns with new faces in the coming months, and will draw on the spirit of past campaigns for Guess Inc., during the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s. Those campaigns were shot by Herb Ritts, Wayne Maser and Ellen Von Unwerth, and featured noteworthy models including Claudia Schiffer, Anna Nicole Smith, Carré Otis and Carla Bruni.
Starting next month, Guess Jeans will also begin opening its own brand-dedicated stores around the world. The first Guess Jeans store will debut in Amsterdam toward the end of May, followed by a Berlin location in July. “Europe is definitely the backbone of Guess’s business,” Marciano said. “Europe has a really strong full-price business.”
Other stores will follow in London, Milan, Barcelona and Tokyo.
A U.S. flagship for Guess Jeans will open in November in a 3,000-square-foot outpost at 8700 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, Calif. It is near the Pacific Design Center and on a well-trafficked shopping street. There will be a VIP lounge for meetings and projects as well as a café to encourage shoppers to hang out.