Guess Jeans sets out for denim domination in Amsterdam

For 40 years, Guess has kept A‑list trailblazers in the most coveted denim. Cast your mind back to some of the brand’s classic shoots: Drew Barrymore with pencil-thin brows, a daring lip, topless in Guess Jeans? A moment for the books in 1993. Adriana Lima clad in a cotton denim jacket with a cowboy hat atop her head? It lives on many a mood board. And Paris Hilton seducing the camera while clutching a toy cat and wearing spray-on denim jeans, her signature bleach-blonde locks and sky-scrapper heels, lensed by Ellen von Unwerth? No heiress has ever done it better.

If you’ve always wanted to mimic a ​’90s super or Hollywood darling in waist-cinching Guess Jeans, well, it’s never been easier. This past week, the brand introduced the first of a fleet of Guess Jeans stores, starting with Amsterdam. Stationed in Kalverstraat, a stone’s throw away from multiple museums in the capital, the store opening marks a new era for the brand that has been supplying the world with sumptuous denim for decades.

The first company to disrupt and revitalise stonewashing production, Guess is constantly moving the needle forward in advancing the denim landscape. Spearheaded by creative director Nicolai Marciano, its latest range of denim is made using Guess Airwash, a sustainable, transformative stonewash technology. Conceptualised just this year, the denim pioneers created the eco-conscious Airwash model to create a stonewashed effect using 80 per cent less water, air and humidity to replicate the worn-out, vintage effect.

So excited were Guess about the new technology that, to coincide with the store opening, they opened a temporary ​“40 Years Of Denim” pop-up a few minutes from the store where guests could see the Airwash process take place IRL. Heading into the pop-up, guests were greeted by a wall of vintage shoots, including Anna-Nicole Smith in Guess jeans and the panelled denim jacket worn by Michael J. Fox in 1985’s Back To The Future. Illustrations of the newly developed Airwash machines were displayed across the walls, but the main event was witnessing the awe-worthy machinery at play.

Consisting of a four-step process – lasering, air, E‑Flow (to navigate shrinkage) and drying – the immersive experience allowed guests to see how rolls of lasered denim can create any desired pattern with little effort. Jeans whirled around inside an air-trapping device and were subsequently popped inside a dryer. Denim bags were even on tap to decorate with a laser machine.

“There are no stones involved anymore so there is hardly any wastage. Not to mention 80 per cent water savings and 40 per cent energy savings,” said Nicolai of the fashion-forward process. ​“There are zero toxic chemicals involved [in the process]. The traditional stone-washing process had a lot of potassium and chemicals that weren’t safe for a working environment. This process has eliminated that.”

Of course, no Guess launch is complete without a swanky party. Just a few hours after impressing guests with the Airwash technique, the space was transformed into a dinner venue. Guests including photographer Rafael Pavarotti, Maya Jama and artist Esmay Wagemans enjoyed a three-course dinner of codfish, shiitake steamed buns and elderflower panna cotta, while various wines were on tap. The celebrations continued long into the evening inside penthouse location, A’DAM The Loft, and were soundtracked by a DJ set from London’s Tiffany Calver.

But, back to the denim. If Amsterdam is too much of a schlep for you, fear not. The Guess Jeans team intends on opening more stores in Tokyo, LA, and London over the next few months.

The perfect pair of jeans doesn’t exist? Think again.