Guess USA Is Setting The Standard For Today’s Western Wear
Nicolai Marciano’s A/W 24 Guess USA collection experiments on his signature take on distressed Americana with bold new silhouettes.
Nicolai Marciano’s A/W 24 Guess USA collection experiments on his signature take on distressed Americana with bold new silhouettes.
With Beyoncé announcing the second phase of of Renaissance trilogy this week as a country album, it’s clear that Western wear isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Ahead of the cowboy curve is Guess USA who, under the direction of designer Nicolai Marciano, has been crafting covetable collections inspired by Americana and the Wild Wild West. The son of Guess co-founder Paul Marciano introduced the Guess USA line in 2017 as a way to revive the brand’s archives and pay homage to the brand’s American roots. And his A/W 24 collection does just that.
At the heart of the collection is Marciano’s signature vintage-style denim and cracked leather. This season sees classic silhouettes like trucker jackets and denim shorts with heavy distressing and shredded hemlines that evoke the brand’s raw, rebellious spirit. New this season is wax-coated denim adding an ole-slick sheen to the season’s lineup of rustic denim. The use of cracked leather is also expanded with new styles including motorcycle jackets and wide-leg cargo trousers.
The colour palette this season keeps things muted with earthy tones of green, burgundy, and black and is best showcased in the collection’s knitwear. Distressed crew necks and washed-out cable knits in rustic tones are the perfect layering pieces for the collection's more experimental additions. One of the most experimental additions this season is the addition of faux fur. Engineered in Paris, the cruelty-free fabrication is rendered as soft-to-the-touch jackets and vests, adding a layer of luxury to the otherwise rugged collection.
Completing the collection are maxi and mini hobo bags, along with new iterations of the Claudia bag in pale pink and mint green cracked leather, and faded denim, catering to various sizes. The footwear range expands with work boots and vintage-inspired cowboy boots, complemented by metal hardware western belts.
Bringing Marciano’s vision of Western wear Americana to life is longtime friend and collaborator Eli Russell Linnetz. The multi-hyphenate best known for his own label ERL, has been the visionary behind Guess USA’s imagery since 2022. With a wood-laden cabin as the backdrop for the brand’s A/W 24 cookbook, Linnetz captures the rugged aesthetic at the heart of Guess USA and embodies the brand's commitment to craftsmanship.
