htown x GUESS USA Pop-Up

In May, htown store joined forces with the iconic brand GUESS USA for a month-long collaboration. Successfully merging London’s vibrant, diverse cultural tapestry with GUESS USA’s timeless, all-American aesthetic, delivering an innovative and nostalgic collection. The SS24 collection was showcased in Shoreditch, London. 

A collaborative pop-up venue accessible from 16th May 2024 until 8th June 2024. Exclusively at location: 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ.

htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)

In 2022, legend Eli Russell Linnetz partnered with the American heritage giant GUESS USA in a bid to refresh the brand's collective image. Working closely with founder Nicolai Marciano, the brand has delved into their archives to animate some of their earlier designs. Since the launch of Linnetz's trailblazing brand in 2018; ERL, California-born Eli has proven to be multifaceted in the fashion realm. In 2022, Eli appeared in the BoF 500 and has worked with stars including Kanye, Lady Gaga and ASAP Rocky. 

"The brand has always used photography to tell amazing stories, stories that not only sold clothes but also an exciting attitude and energy”

- Eli Russell Linnetz

htown x GUESS USA billboard imagery at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA billboard imagery at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)

GUESS USA SS24 Billboard Campaign Imagery

htown x GUESS USA billboard imagery at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA billboard imagery at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)

Campaign imagery photographed by creative Eli Russell Linnetz, a large-scale wrap-around billboard, found exclusively at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ during the collaboration period.

GUESS USA; GUESS’s sub-label brand, has gained an audience for its carefully curated celebrity collaborations, visionary marketing campaigns and its reimagined western-coast influences. SS24 was filled with a myriad of 80s film references such as that of 1889’s ‘Splash’. Other references include the likes of 1986’s ‘Club Paradise’ and 1985’s ‘The Sure Thing’. In the more prevalent ‘Splash’ directed by Ron Howard, Allen Bauer (Tom Hanks) is rescued from drowning by a Mermaid, Madison (Daryl Hannah). It is an aquatic, romantic comedy which is said to have inspired the off-shore GUESS USA SS24 collection. Many of the design choices have encompassed details from the movie, with the visuals narrating out-of-water beauty matched with earthy, washed-up tones.

Ron Howard’s 1889 ‘Splash’

Ron Howard’s 1889 ‘Splash’ which inspired the GUESS USA SS24 collection
Ron Howard’s 1889 ‘Splash’ which inspired the GUESS USA SS24 collection

Honing in on the beachy intricacies, the collection was packed with distressed cracked leathers, embedded varsity designs and lace adornments. The htown pop-up space curated with collection centrefold feels like an oceanic have; lime-washed walls were coupled with wooden furnishings, and a series of industrial crates joined with various fisherman barrels and frayed sea nets. At the forefront, garments hung adjacently on isolated rails and spotlights trailed the course of a series of mannequins overlooking Shoreditch High Street. SS24 created an exclusive feel for customers, with the exclusivity of in-person shopping within the pop-up space. 

htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)
htown x GUESS USA pop-up space at 150 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ (2024)

Shop GUESS USA at htown store

Words - Elise-Mai Duffy (@elise.duffy)

Photography - Sam Simpson

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