MANUFACTURING
Guess Inc.’s Paul Marciano Accused of Sexual Harassment
Weeks after fashion and celebrity photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber were accused of sexual harassment, another fashion figure, Paul Marciano, was accused of similar misconduct.
On Jan. 31, supermodel Kate Upton posted accusations against Marciano, the cofounder and chief creative officer of clothing label Guess? Inc. She said he abused his power at the pioneering denim and fashion company where she once modeled.
“It’s disappointing that such an iconic women’s brand @GUESS is still empowering Paul Marciano as their creative director,” she posted on her Twitter and Instagram accounts. She ended the post with the hash tag #MeToo, the movement demanding that powerful men in the media and politics answer sexual-harassment accusations.
Later she posted another tweet. “He shouldn’t be allowed to use his power in the industry to sexually and emotionally harass women,” she wrote.
Upton gave no further explanation on her grievances. Upton worked as the advertising face of Guess from 2010 through 2011. Since then, her fame as a model has increased with her image gracing the covers of Sports Illustrated’s, swimsuit issues, among other glossy magazines. She has also acted in movies.
Guess and Paul Marciano have made no formal statement about the accusations. But the media outlet TMZ reported that Marciano told their reporters that he is shocked by the accusations and can’t figure out why Upton is doing this. He said he won’t apologize because nothing is wrong.
A Bloomberg News story noted that after the accusations, Guess shares dropped around 12 percent to $16.16 a share. It was the biggest stock decline for the company in two months.
The accusations also threw a wet towel on celebrations later in the day for a new Guess campaign featuring film and music star Jennifer Lopez.
Hours after Upton posted her accusations, Marciano and Lopez appeared at a glitzy Los Angeles party for Guess’ Spring 2018 advertising campaign starring Lopez. While Marciano spoke at the event, media reports said that Lopez was not photographed on the event’s red carpet with Marciano.
When the campaign was announced in November, Lopez said that it was an ego boost to be the star of the campaign.
“When I got the call from Paul Marciano asking me to become the new ‘Guess Girl,’ I was thrilled and excited to be a part of such an iconic brand that I have loved since I was a teenager,” Lopez said. “When I look back at early Guess campaigns through the years, you see all of these beautiful models and iconic images that Paul has created. It is a tremendous compliment to have been selected for Guess’ Spring 2018 campaign.”
