With spring well underway, we are all looking to add some colour and joy to our wardrobes. Well, look no further than the Guess x FriendsWithYou capsule collection – headed up by Colombian reggaeton icon and king of colourful fashion J Balvin. The American clothing giant and experimental art collective have come together to create a line filled with rainbow hues and kitsch cartoon imagery guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The brainchild of Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, FriendsWithYou is the pioneering fine art collective founded in 2002 with the sole purpose of spreading the positive message of Magic, Luck, and Friendship. And after the year we’ve had, it’s not surprising that we’re clinging on to every little smidge of joy the world has to offer. On this, Guess Brand Partnerships Director Nicolai Marciano admits that this sentiment is exactly what the collection is all about. “We want our clothes to provoke a sense of celebration,” he explains. “We aim to get people excited not just about the product, but about their own creative expression and the fresh new perspectives of artists worldwide. This collection is a celebration of FriendsWithYou and the art they bring to the world.”

Complete with men’s, women’s and accessories offerings, the collection is positively a thing of pure joy, with your favourite casualwear pieces getting a cutesy revamp. Expect eye-scorching rainbow polos, colour-block longline cardies stamped with cutesy anime characters (we’ll never get bored of clouds, mushrooms and flowers sporting faces), and denim staples get an all-over patchwork takeover. The real winners? The beyond-adorable accessories: with everything from heart-shaped sunnies, fluffy cloud backpacks and leather daisy bucket bags emblazoned with a beaming star attachment.

We caught up with Nicolai Marciano below to hear more about the collection….

Hi Nicolai – how have you been during this uncertain time? 
I’ve been doing well during this time, staying focused with the team and have had a lot more time to spend with family with no travel going on.

How has it impacted your creativity?
Not being able to travel and connect with a lot of friends and people we work with has definitely been challenging. But we have learned to adapt and stay creative with the new normal.

Congratulations on the collaboration between GUESS and FriendsWithYou – will you tell me how you first heard about the collective and at what point you first met Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III?
We first met through J Balvin. J had told me about them quite a bit and that they were doing his tour design for his Arcoiris tour. We ended up doing his costume design for that tour and eventually collaborated with FWY on a tour capsule together. We met at their studio in LA the first time and I was really inspired by all the work they shared with me.

The main message of FriendsWithYou is “Magic, Luck, and FriendshipTM”, why do you think that fits in with GUESS’ ethos, and what made you think that FriendsWithYou and GUESS would have a great synergy together?
First and foremost we really loved Sam and Arturo when we met, felt a great synergy and admiration of their art and their messaging. Being able to offer a platform that can amplify that message they have and bringing a really exciting collection to our consumers was what was really interesting for us. We felt their IP translated really well into apparel and the visual messaging of the whole partnership.

It’s such a positive, vibrant collaboration – what’s your favourite piece?
The women’s cardigan is definitely a favourite of mine. Very colourful with lots of detailed patches.

Why do you think this message of positivity is so important at a time like this?
Bringing such a happy and positive project to the market feels necessary right now. It’s been a very challenging year for everyone and we feel like this capsule radiates a lot of happiness to the world.

And FriendWithYou’s anime aesthetic from the lens of a high-end artist puts such a unique twist on this capsule collection – is it important for you to keep your customers guessing and inspired by unexpected things?
Absolutely. We love to bring different perspectives into the brand to deliver newness and exciting concepts for our customers.

Why is it more important than ever right now to champion fresh new perspectives of artists worldwide? Especially when we might be feeling disconnected?
I think working with artists and bringing new perspectives can bring a sense of connection between people. Connecting through the art and the clothes keeps the conversation going.

What is the future of fashion for GUESS?
Elevating the brand and the product is our biggest initiative and primary focus for the company.

To get your hands on a piece of this happiness-filled and celebratory collection, head to the Guess website