Paul Marciano
Paul Marciano | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1, 1952 Debdou, Morocco |
| Occupation(s) | Fashion designer, entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Known for | Co-founder of Guess? Inc. |
Paul Marciano (born September 1, 1952) is a fashion designer, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist with Moroccan-American-French heritage. He is a co-founder of Guess? Inc, a brand distinguished by its renowned black-and-white advertising campaigns that have earned several Clio awards. Initially, the enterprise was managed collectively by the four Marciano brothers—Paul, Armand, Maurice, and Georges. Today, the company along with its subsidiaries, Marciano and G by Guess, is mainly directed by Paul and Maurice. Additionally, he is a prominent supporter of Em Habanim, one of the largest Sephardic synagogues located in Los Angeles.
Early life
Paul Marciano was born in Debdou, Morocco, into a Jewish family with Italian-Jewish roots tracing back to the Naples region. He grew up in Marseille, France alongside his siblings Georges, Armand, Maurice, and Jacqueline. Their family lineage included several generations of rabbis. The brothers resided within a synagogue complex where Paul took part in the Éclaireurs israelites de France, a Jewish scouting organization. At age 15, he suffered a severe motorcycle accident that confined him to a wheelchair for seven months and prevented him from continuing school. This event prompted him to leave France and spend time living on a kibbutz in Israel.
MGA
Marciano gained experience working at his family’s clothing business, MGA (Maurice Georges Armand), which operated retail outlets along the French Riviera. In 1977, Paul and his brothers—Georges, Armand, and Maurice—traveled to Southern California and developed an affinity for the region. Following political shifts in France during 1981 under socialist leader François Mitterrand, they decided to close MGA and relocate to the United States. There, they ran an MGA store on Little Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills during the early 1980s before founding the internationally acclaimed brand Guess.
Guess? Inc.
The Marciano siblings established Guess Jeans in 1981. By 1983, they sold half of the company’s shares to the Nakash Brothers from New York. However, their business relationship soured, leading to a 1989 California court ruling that found the Nakashes had deceitfully persuaded the Marcianos into the agreement. A settlement reached in 1990 granted the Nakash brothers $66 million from escrowed earnings and control over the "Gasoline" brand, while the Marcianos retained ownership of "Diesel." Paul Marciano initially took charge of advertising and public relations before ascending to president and COO roles in 1993. By 2004, Paul and Maurice collectively held nearly 70% of Guess’s total outstanding shares of 44 million.
In June 2018, amid allegations of sexual misconduct brought forward by Kate Upton and others—settled for $500,000—Paul Marciano stepped down as CEO. He had previously faced harassment accusations in 2008 and 2009. Following his resignation, he assumed the role of Executive Chairman while continuing as chief creative officer at Guess.
Other business activities
In 2013, Paul and Maurice Marciano joined forces with Steve Tisch and World Wrestling Entertainment to invest in Hero Ventures, an entertainment startup based in Los Angeles.
Philanthropy
In 2013, the Maurice and Paul Marciano Art Foundation acquired the former Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on Wilshire Boulevard for $8 million with plans to transform it into a private museum designed by architect Kulapat Yantrasast. The facility encompasses approximately 90,000 square feet across four levels—nearly as large as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles—and was intended to showcase the Marcianos’ collection of around 1,000 artworks. The project was temporarily halted to prevent conflicts with Maurice Marciano’s role as co-chairman at MOCA. Although the museum opened its doors in 2017, it closed in November 2019 following a labor dispute involving visitor services staff demanding higher wages; subsequent layoffs led to allegations of unfair labor practices.
In 2014, Paul and Maurice contributed $5.2 million to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.
Politics
Prior to 2016, Marciano's financial contributions were mainly directed toward Democratic candidates. However, from that year onward, he redirected his political donations to Republican figures, providing over $20,000 in total, which included the full $2,700 allowed contribution to Donald Trump.
Personal life
Marciano has entered into marriage twice. His first union with model and photographer Kymberly Marciano resulted in two children: Ella (born 1994) and Nicolai (born 1996), before the couple eventually divorced. In 2016, he wed French model Mareva Georges, who held the titles of Miss Tahiti 1990 and Miss France 1991, in a ceremony held in Bora Bora. Together, they have two children, Ryan (born 2005) and Gia (born 2012), and live in Los Angeles. Georges actively supports initiatives aimed at safeguarding women and children from abuse.
See also
Bibliography
External links
- American businesspeople in fashion
- American fashion designers
- American company founders
- American retail chief executives
- 1952 births
- Living people
- American investors
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- California people in fashion
- French emigrants to the United States
- French fashion designers
- French investors
- 20th-century Moroccan Jews
- Jewish fashion designers
- Businesspeople from Beverly Hills, California
- People from Debdou
- Museum founders
- Philanthropists from California
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century French businesspeople
- 21st-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century American Sephardic Jews
- 21st-century American Sephardic Jews
- People of Campanian descent
- Moroccan people of Italian-Jewish descent
- American people of Italian-Jewish descent