GUESS Hits the Slopes

In the heart of the Alps

Zermatt, Cortina and Gstaad: these are the three iconic winter tourist destinations nestled in the heart of the Alps, between Italy and Switzerland, chosen by GUESS for its 2024 GUESS Winter Project, the event that, for the second year in a row, takes the brand to the most scenic alpine locations. The Project includes pop-up stores, Instagrammable places (such as GUESS’ giant swing) and the Winter Ski Capsule collection featuring the brand’s apparel and irresistible eyewear by Marcolin.

Guess winter 2024/2025

Fashion Show at 3000 meters

After the exclusive beach clubs this summer, now GUESS reaches higher altitudes, taking its unmistakable glamorous touch to the ski slopes and lifts. The brand accomplished an impressive feat, organizing a ground-breaking fashion show at an altitude of 3000 meters, at Glacier 3000, the most renowned alpine destination in Switzerland, with 20 models strutting down the legendary Peak Walk, a suspension bridge linking two peaks and offering a 360° view of snow-capped summits above 4000 meters: Eiger, Jungfrau, Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.

Guess Winter 2024/2025

Exhibitions and pop-up stores

But the list of events organized by GUESS for the season doesn’t end here. It includes a collaboration with the Iglu-Dorf Village, a romantic hotel made of snow that every year is reinvented by artists and designers with the new «In the Heart of Ice» igloo. A magic place where visitors can enjoy a hyper-immersive exhibition enriched by nostalgic elements on the mountain theme as well as GUESS Fashion and Home items. But that’s not all: after the great success enjoyed last year in Cortina, the brand opened two winter pop-up stores in the heart of Gstaad; one of them is located inside the five-star Le Grand Bellevue hotel, a go-to location for the habitués of this sought-after destination at 1050 meters above sea level.

GUess winter 2024/2025

Best of 2024

Small but Big

2024 opened with 1 big recognition: Marcolin received the Certification for Gender Equality, issued by the accredited bodies at Accredia, as an acknowledgement of the path undertaken a few years ago with the introduction of new inclusive and corporate welfare policies. 2 new showrooms opened their doors. The first in New York, on the 19th floor of an elegant building located at 270 Madison Avenue; the second in London, along the iconic Old Street, inside a network of historic warehouse-style buildings. 2 2024 editions of Marcolin Talks were held, offering engaging opportunities to meet with opinion leaders from a wide range of sectors: from economics to food, from Luxury to green. The first was organized in Shanghai, in collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China, the second in New York, with journalist Arthur Zaczkiewicz, editor-in-chief of WWD, leading the meeting.

Best of 2024

Confirmations and Projects

A total of 3 editions of Marcolin’s Leadership Academy took place this year, the last of which ended in February; this special training course was launched in 2001 and is dedicated to the company’s talents and future leaders. This year, a special space was devoted to Women’s Leadership. On the other hand, Marcolin contributed to a total of 4 projects, starting with the first edition of Made in Italy Day, promoted by Altagamma – of which Marcolin is a partner – and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. The company then joined (together with 20,000 companies from 167 countries around the world) the Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate social responsibility initiative aimed at addressing exploitation and corruption; it supported cancer research and participated in the 24th «Women, Economy & Power» seminar organized by the Bellisario Foundation.

Best of 2024

Old Friends, New Partners

Finally, 6 Luxury fashion brands entered into an agreement with Marcolin this year, including 4 reconfirmations (Zegna, MAX&Co., GCDS and Skechers) and 2 new entries (Christian Louboutin and K-Way). This means that now Marcolin designs and produces eyewear for more than 20 brands. Lastly, the number 6 again: 6 Summer Buying Days events were held this year in Bologna, Santa Barbara (CA), Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney and Phuket, providing an opportunity to meet, discuss but also relax with customers and partners from different business areas across the world. These are just a few of the numbers that tell the story of Marcolin’s last 12 months. Numbers to remember and take with you into the coming year.

Best of 2024

Lorenzo Posocco

You said in an interview that you have to always be on the move in your job, to “destroy, rebuild, research.” What for?

When you talk about creativity, it’s far from static. Personally, I’ve always thought that traveling, seeing, studying and visiting new places, meeting new people and embracing new worlds and universes that are very different from yourself are all elements that are closely associated with the term “creativity.” They are the ingredients for your continuous personal growth and a great creative drive to nurture your own vision.

lorenzo posocco

You’ve also ventured into the creation of capsule collections for illustrious fashion brands several times (the latest being MAX&Co). In this case, what are the guiding elements for your projects? Is it more the “wow factor” or street fashion?

I’m a curious person by nature and a great observer: I watch everything around me and anything passing by, so street culture is certainly a great starting point for most of my projects, and a source of inspiration. But I like understanding people’s needs and using them as a starting point to go down a new path, looking for interesting similarities or contrasts: basically to create new visions.

visions of Lorenzo Posocco

What role does an accessory like eyewear play in your looks?

Eyewear is a key part of any look. Personally, I have a real passion for eyewear: I’ve been collecting sunglasses since I was a child and I’ve always used them as a styling element in my job, not just on sunny days. A pair of glasses can totally change a look’s attitude, and it’s an accessory that never goes unnoticed.

Anna Frabotta

Within an industry that is facing great challenges like the newspaper sector, the only positive sign (in Italy and worldwide) comes from indie publishing: how do you interpret this phenomenon?

«Indie publishing is better off than mainstream publishing and, according to the figures, it is expected to continue to grow, replacing traditional newspapers that have shut down and offering quality content and information that is not influenced by advisers. It comprises fine bilingual cultural products that are worth keeping and that are also appreciated by younger readers. An interesting figure is that people under 30, who belong to a generation that is used to dematerialized culture accessible on their smartphones, have shown the greatest interest in the return to paper. Moreover, cultural magazines can rely on a multitude of different languages and can be integrated with digital content thanks to QR codes or playlists that you can listen to while reading. Many luxury brands have understood this, deciding to invest in these magazines».

Anna Frabotta

As a curator for Pitti Immagine, what’s your relationship with fashion and with a unique accessory like eyewear?

«My relationship with fashion also stems from magazines: for Pitti I curate Pitti Mags, the project dedicated to fashion indie mags, while at IED I deal with fashion publishing. I love fashion because it’s an ever-evolving language: I like staying updated on the latest fashion trends and anticipating future ones. Also in terms of eyewear, which is a key accessory to complement any look that becomes part of the wearer’s identity. Personally I have many glasses, especially vintage frames from the Seventies and Eighties».

Anna Frabotta

Frab’s Magazine is the inventor and organizer of Mag to Mag, the event dedicated to indie publishing that also this year, now at its second run, has attracted thousands of visitors and authors. What are your plans for the future?

«The festival was a great success, with 5000 visitors in two days, including many young people and professionals under 50 who work in creative sectors. Next year we will certainly be back in Milan with the third edition, but we are also thinking about turning it into a traveling event because it is the only festival -in Europe- exclusively devoted to magazines, meaning that books or small publishers are not included. And we like the idea of expanding outside of Milan».

Anna Frabotta