In 1989 Claudia Schiffer posed for photographer Ellen von Unwerth in a lacy bra, neckerchief, a western-buckled belt and, most memorably of all, a pair of blue, mid-rise, button-fly GUESS jeans. The images, which called to mind Brigitte Bardot via back-combed blonde hair and smokey, winged eyeliner, turned out to be fashionably prophetic bursting open a sexy new world for denim.
Today, the form-fitting silhouette of original GUESS denim remains as desirable as ever. The gentle classicism its rinses evoke, be it through jeans or cropped jackets or seamed bustiers, make it a sartorial winner. However, with the turning tide of this decade’s conscious revolution, denim at its core is, once again, on course for change. The rebirth this time comes via a viscerally subtle movement. It’s not the cut, nor the shape that’s fastening its future, rather the very fibre of the denim that’s revving up its most powerful and important moment yet.
Science and fashion are meeting at an auspicious moment, working together to develop brand new blends that will shape the future of the industry. Looking to technological advances in both processing as well as ingredient experimentation GUESS is leading the way when it comes to actively incorporating these neo-fibres into their collections. Materials that are sustainably sourced and focus on reduced consumption and regenerated matter are igniting the sartorial zeitgeist, which is captured in the latest capsule, the aptly named SMART GUESS.
Using brands like Lenzing that produces soft, wearable denims from renewable, natural wood, Orta Blu that creates clean, organic indigo dying methods and EIM that works with the hardy eco-friendly natural hemp fibre, GUESS is reimagining their classic designs from the ground up. In addition, it is also working with Repreve, a revolutionary recycling company that garners a practical use for discarded plastic bottles. So far, they have recycled over 25 billion, repurposing them into various commodities, one of which is a comfortable, malleable fabric fibre.
Environmental issues have plagued the fashion industry in extreme ways over the past few years, with everything from water usage, to landfill, to carbon emissions reportedly over-consumed. GUESS has committed to changing the path forward, setting a precedent for how fashion should be now and in the future. They have set stringent ecological goals that iterate the importance of responsibility, change and action.
GUESS denim always exudes a vintage-inspired cool. Designs are permanently in style, yet still able to meander the seasons, ebbing and flowing with trend-driven details. This collection is a perfect example. Take the form-fitting, deep-blue denim boiler suit that zips to a buttoned crew-neck – wouldn’t that look great on a modern Bond girl? Or consider the light-wash pencil dress that doses up on early 2000s vibes and is the ultimate cool off-duty staple when teamed with the contrasting hoodie.
Then there’s the high-rise, double-button fly denim jeans in a dark rinse that partners perfectly with the pin-tucked logo tee. And check out the vintage-blue, slim-leg stovepipes that, when paired with the season’s uber look - the corset bustier - evokes an immediate homage to the catalogue of Claudia Schiffer some 32 years ago. And there’s a renewed appreciation for the four-fly denim jeans this season. Worn with a stretch turtleneck that cuts open at the décolletage, this has an irresistibly cool 90s vibe.
Although the designs might throw back to vintage classics, the materials are all future-looking, made from specialist sustainable fibres or crafted from repurposed vintage denim. The pieces don’t just look good, they do good too, saving the earth from hundreds of litres of irrigation, C02 emissions and destitute landfill.
The SMART GUESS denim muse is welcoming a woke era in fashion. She is someone conscious about the future and seeking ways to better it. The eighties and nineties were simpler times, back then we didn’t know the harms of modern consumables. Today, we know. We’re privy to ecological impact statements, to the world of biodegradables and the gargantuan change we need to make. Finally, it’s fashionable to reduce and repurpose.
GUESS has been pioneering denim in its many forms for over three decades and is continuing to move the conversation forward, this time through the window of a sustainable future. Still just as sexy, still as iconic, but now motivated by something that unites us all.