The Guess brand has been known for all things denim since the early ’80s, when four brothers from the south of France landed in Los Angeles and started their own blue jeans label.
Over the next 50 years, the company morphed into a publicly traded $2.6 billion enterprise, with the Marciano family still a major shareholder and some members continuing as part of the operation. Now, the next generation is leaving its mark on the fashion industry.
Emma Marciano, whose father is Guess cofounder Maurice Marciano, a former chief executive officer and current board member, is designing a new independently owned and operated label called Mimchik, which is not associated with the Guess label. It launched in October with the help of its business partner, Mia Kazowski.
The two joined forces at the beginning of the year after meeting through Emma’s older sister, Olivia. “Olivia and Mia were best friends in eighth grade and parted ways for a while,” Emma Marciano recalled.
When Kazowski grabbed Olivia, she shared that she was starting her own brand after leaving her previous label, Dooz. Marciano was also looking to start his own label. Olivia introduces the two, and they kill it immediately.
Marciano, 24, who studied at New York University and took a one-year apprenticeship at Guess, had a wealth of ideas, but felt overwhelmed by the shadow of Guess’s greatness. “Obviously there were some big shoes to fill,” she said.
A curvy top from Mimchik. Photo: Mimchik and Amalie Gassman.
Kazowski, 30, who is a graduate of Pratt Institute, founded an astrology-oriented apparel, handbag and accessories company called Dooz in 2018 but left last year to branch out on her own. “I moved from New York back to Los Angeles and felt I needed a fresh start,” Kazowski said. “I started doing something else, but it was hard to do by myself. … Emma and I hit it off, and ever since, we’re both inseparable.”
The idea behind MimChic, which will initially be sold online, is to create something different for the girl who has completely exhausted different things to wear. “This is for someone who doesn’t want to wear a tight black dress anymore and wants something very out of the box,” Marciano said.
The tag line that works for their clientele is “conscious hot girl”. It is about a girl who is in her 20s or 30s who likes to have fun and wear different well made clothes, which is not fashion. “It’s a lot who are willing to pay a little more for something that will last forever,” Kazowski said. Prices will range from $120 for a tank top to $800 for a jacket.
The two manufacturers, who are self-funding for their project, are producing fashion designs in small batches manufactured in Los Angeles to reduce waste, primarily from eco-friendly fabrics, deadstock or recycled materials. have been created. “We are a fashion brand coming into this vast world, and we don’t want to add more waste and continue to spoil our earth,” Marciano said.
Her first collection has about 12 styles, including one dress, two skirts, two pants, a top that comes in multiple colors, and jackets. “Our clothing is playing on men’s suits and taking formality out of it, making it playful, whimsical, fun and sexy,” Marciano said.
Oversized, men’s-style jackets would be paired with a miniskirt. “It’s our own visual language, playing with proportions,” Kazowski said.
One of the challenges with growing a brand is finding the right fabric and then hoping it doesn’t run out of stock. Another challenge is taking samples back from the sewing factory and finding that they haven’t lived up to your expectations and need to be redone.
Zakowski brings his technical prowess to the new label, having learned from launching Douz with Rachel Borghard, who remains in the company.
And Marciano has a wealth of product ideas. “I live and breathe clothes,” she said. “It’s just the one thing that really brings a lot of joy and makes my heart beat so fast. I come to Mia with all these thoughts, and she is able to bring them to life,” she said.
Marciano is also sharing his thoughts with his father, Maurice, even though he is still recovering from a bicycle accident he had two years ago in Napa Valley, Calif. “He’s not able to speak,” said Marciano, “but I’m showing him what I’m doing excites him and shows him that I’m capable of doing it on my own.”
Originally published at Pen 18
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