The Guess brand just got a major refresh. After years of tumultuous ups and downs, Guess? Inc. is releasing an ongoing, collaborative project called Guess Originals.
For its inaugural season, Guess Originals will be teaming up with rapper and fashion guru A$AP Rocky on a collection of hip-hop inspired clothes that trace the streetwear history of the brand.

In the ’80s, ’90s and aughts, Guess was all the rage. Light-wash denim with the signature red, back-pocket logo became a cult classic in the everyday American wardrobe. Coupled with sexually charged ad campaigns featuring stars like Anna Nicole Smith and other buxom babes, the brand skyrocketed — perhaps too quickly.

In recent years, Guess has suffered huge reductions in profit due to lack of interest and over-saturation. The brand that once led the pack was outshined by the rise of fast-fashion power players like H&M, Zara and Topshop, and, as more options became available and accessible, the landscape of mass fashion became much more fragmented. Suddenly everyone wasn’t after the same pair of Guess jeans.

In an effort to salvage the once-great brand, they’ve reinvented some classics that we are extremely excited about: denim jackets, light-wash overalls and candy-red striped T-shirts with the logo “GUESS” being altered to read “GUE$$.” We see you, A$AP.

In a statement, A$AP Rocky said of the collab, “It’s taking archival designs and adding a new twist, and developing new colorways . . . Something for men, women, boys and girls around the world. It’s a very personal collection: limited and very focused. I think this is dope because hip-hop hasn’t seen these colorways and patterns since the early ’90s.”

The pre-launch of the collection will take place Jan. 30 at Opening Ceremony here in New York, Union in Los Angeles, RSVP Gallery in Chicago and Cntrbnd in Tokyo. The full collection hits Guess stores and their Web site on Feb. 15th. We, for one, will be making our way down to Howard Street to snag a T-shirt and bomber jacket before they’re sold out.