Eli Russell Linnetz, the founder of A$AP Rocky and Kid Cudi-approved label ERL, is partnering with Guess USA to help the denim sub-label freshen up its image.
An offshoot of Guess, Inc. that specializes in premium products and celebrity collaborations, Guess USA recruited the California-based multi-hyphenate (photography, music production, and design are among Linnetz's creative outlets) to "re-establish" its brand identity, according to Guess USA division head Nicolai Marciano.
Thus, Linnetz shot a marketing campaign for Marciano's new apparel collection that mined the Guess archive for inspiration.
Set to debut sometime this fall, Linnetz's full campaign will likely incorporate his signature brand of warmly erotic, California cool — a signature that makes perfect sense paired with Guess' own penchant for peddling all-American, girl-next-door sex appeal.
The Guess USA Instagram has been wiped in anticipation of Linnetz' campaign, save for a single teaser photo.
According to Business of Fashion, Paul Marciano, Guess co-founder and the father of Nicolai, is largely uninvolved in Guess USA's project with Linnetz.
Still, the sexual misconduct allegations against the elder Marciano continue to cast a shadow over his company and its offshoots.
In 2018, model Kate Upton came forward with harassment and forcible touching claims against the co-founder and CEO, who allegedly fired her from campaigns after she rebuffed his advances.
In 2021, an anonymous plaintiff filed a lawsuit against Marciano and Guess over similar allegations.
After news of the suit broke, a woman named Eileen Toal detailed her own sexual assault allegations against the executive.
Marciano, who remains Guess' top executive, was also named as a defendant in a January 2022 lawsuit from Beazley Insurance Company, Inc., Guess' insurance firm, which seeks to distance itself from the embattled company.
