US fashion group Guess is reportedly about to exit the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nearly 30 years after listing. The group, owner of the Guess, Guess Jeans, Marciano and Rag & Bone labels, announced it has received an offer for the purchase of a majority of its shares by US investment firm WHP Global on Monday March 17.
Guess could soon exit NYSE – Guess
According to a press release from Guess, WHP Global, which bought Dutch denim brand G-Star in 2023, has put forward “a non-binding proposal to acquire through its subsidiary WHP Investments the outstanding Guess shares at $13.00 per share, with the exception of the shares held by some existing shareholders, including Paul Marciano, Maurice Marciano and Guess CEO Carlos Alberini.”
The Marciano brothers, who moved to the USA from France in the late 1970s, founded Guess in 1981 in California as a denim label. In time, Guess made a name for itself thanks to its glam collections and high-impact advertising campaigns, especially in the 1990s and 2000s.
For the fiscal year ended on February 4, 2024, Guess reported net sales of $2.77 billion, and an operating profit of $263 million. Guess is listed on NYSE, where its share price peaked on October 17, 2007, at $50.38. After losing ground in the following decade, the group’s share price plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic, and has bounced back since then.
The share price for Guess was $9.70 at the latest market close in New York. WHP Global’s offer is therefore equivalent to a 34% premium, valuing the Los Angeles-based company at nearly half a billion dollars, and enabling it to exit the stock market. The fiscal 2023-24 results report indicated that Paul and Maurice Marciano held a 46% stake in the group, which directly operates more than 1,000 stores worldwide, plus nearly another 550 operated with retail partners.
In its press release, Guess said it has set up an independent committee to analyse WHP Global’s bid. The two groups began to collaborate more closely last year, when WHP Global partnered with Guess in the acquisition of premium New York denim brand Rag & Bone. On Friday, Guess and WHP Global said they had signed an accessories license deal with the Signal group, a long-standing partner of Guess.
To fête its 15th birthday, Jacquemus is celebrating its history. This week, the Parisian label founded in 2009 by Simon Porte Jacquemus launched the Les 15 ans capsule collection, reissuing 18 signature models selected from its archives, chosen among its bestsellers, dresses in particular. The collection is available at Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, promoted by ad hoc window displays.
La Robe Maman dress from 2016 – ph Deo Suveera & Pamela Dimitrov – Jacquemus
The anniversary items have been chosen from virtually all the collections launched by Jacquemus since 2013, reflecting its sunny, sensual fashion. Among others, the capsule collection features the Col U 1960s-inspired short dress in performance fabric from 2013, the Amour wedding dress from 2020, the Françoise black dress with large square white collar from 2017, the Epaules géantes maxi tartan jacket with oversized shoulders from 2016, and the Castagna red draped mini dress worn by Kylie Jenner at the Jacquemus runway show staged at the Maeght Foundation in January 2024.
“Each look defines the silhouette as an individual story articulating the Jacquemus language: Round-square geometry, draped cuts and minimalism, architectural silhouettes and shapes, transparency and single-material fabrics, polka dots and stripes, the twin inspiration provided by great 1980s fashion and 1950s couture,” the label said in a press release, underlining that “they are the visual references and obsessions that have defined and inspired Jacquemus, from early on until today.”
A selection of dresses will be matched with each look of the Les 15 ans capsule collection. Among the reissued dresses, La Robe Saudade, La Robe Valérie, La Robe Mazzolu, La Robe Biasi, La Robe Novo and La Veste Camargue will be on sale at all Jacquemus stores, on the label’s e-shop, and at selected retail partners worldwide.
In 2024, Inditex expanded its presence with new store openings across 47 markets, reinforcing its dominance in global fashion retail. But where is the company focusing its expansion strategy, and what does its commercial trajectory look like for 2025? Closing its latest fiscal year on January 31, the Spanish powerhouse marked a significant milestone with its first store openings in Uzbekistan. Now, the group is poised to push forward, adding Iraq to its ever-growing list of markets.
Inditex is set to debut in Iraq in 2025 – Inditex
”We will enter Iraq with stores from all our retail brands, allowing us to introduce our fashion to a broad new customer base. Expanding into a new country not only assesses demand but also measures the market’s reception of our collections. We are incredibly excited about this next step,” stated an Inditex executive during the group’s annual financial presentation, where it reported a 7.5% increase in sales and a 9% rise in profits for 2024.
Alongside its expansion into Iraq, Inditex is reinforcing its presence in strategic global cities, with new flagship locations set to open in Nanjing, China; Athens, Greece; Eindhoven, Netherlands; and Osaka, Japan. Meanwhile, ZaraMan is making a statement with a high-profile opening on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, one of Europe’s most prestigious shopping avenues.
Several of Inditex’s other brands are also expanding into new markets in 2025. Bershka will debut in Sweden, Oysho will enter the Netherlands and Germany, and Stradivarius will launch in Austria.
“We will continue executing projects that secure our presence in the most iconic retail destinations around the world,” noted CEO Óscar García Maceiras, citing Zara’s upcoming flagship openings in Nanjing, China, and The Grove, Los Angeles, as prime examples. In addition, Inditex will introduce its third El Apartamento concept—a luxurious retail space merging Zara and Zara Home—within its Serrano Street flagship in Madrid. Meanwhile, London’s Oxford Street will welcome Pull&Bear and Massimo Dutti, while in Paris, Oysho will establish a presence in the distinguished La Madeleine district.
The United States, Inditex’s second-largest market after Spain, remains a strategic priority. In 2025, the company plans to open, renovate, or expand eight stores, with another 13 projects scheduled for 2026. The Los Angeles location will be joined by another opening at Forum Las Vegas, in addition to significant renovations and expansions in Boston and New York’s Hudson Yards.
“We are currently present in 25 states in the country, and in 2026, we will reach 26, including North Carolina,” said the executive.
At the close of 2024, Inditex operated 5,563 stores worldwide, with its total store count decreasing by 129 compared to the previous year. Among its brands, Zara leads with 1,759 stores, followed by Bershka with 854, Stradivarius with 835, Pull&Bear with 800, Massimo Dutti with 528, Oysho with 396, and Zara Home with 391. In total, Inditex’s retail space surpassed 4.6 million square meters.
Beyond its brick-and-mortar presence, the group now operates e-commerce in 214 markets, with online sales soaring 12% in 2024, surpassing the €10 billion milestone (€10.16 billion) for the first time. Digital sales now account for 26.3% of total revenue, supported by 218 million active app users and 8.1 billion online visits, marking a 10% increase year-over-year.
Havaianas, the footwear brand renowned for its flip-flops, has tapped a new ambassador with a global reputation for Spring/Summer 2025, Gigi Hadid. The US top model, who has over 77 million followers on Instagram, will feature in many of Havaianas’s campaigns for next season, presenting models like the Brazil Logo and the Slim Point.
Gigi Hadid is Havaianas’s new face – DR
“Growing up at the beach, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t wearing this summer staple. I’m excited to be working with this team, and I love that Havaianas is making a comeback. I’ll make sure that flip-flops will feature everywhere, from Paris to New York to the beach,” said Hadid in a press release.
With Hadid as ambassador, Havaianas, owned by Brazilian group Alpargatas, is keen to establish itself as a genuine fashion label.
Havaianas has sold more than 5 billion pairs of flip-flops since it was founded, and currently operates approximately 1,000 stores worldwide, in addition to its network of multibrand retailers.
Entertainment8 years ago