The latest chapter in J Balvin’s fashion saga takes place at the house of Marciano. The Colombian reggaetonero has announced his “Vibras” collection with famed stonewashed denim sex kitten brand Guess.
Balvin helped design 42 pieces for the collection, which will be available on February 7 in brick and mortar Guess stores and online. Judging from preview images that have been released, Balvin fans should expect the tie-dye brights, color-block sportswear, and plenty of the googly eyes from last year’s Vibras album cover. Collector’s items include tees that mash up the recognizable Guess logo with the collection’s title, plus 12 eyewear styles and a color-blocked fannypack with a checkerboard guitar strap.
“Everything in this capsule is very ’90s Miami inspired,” Balvin said in a press release announcing the collaboration. “The collection is about ‘Vibras’; nice energy nice vibes, just smile and that’s what we need, all love.”
Balvin has had a moment to develop the “Vibras” sartorial vibe — it’s not his first time releasing a clothing collection by the name of his latest album that gave the world “Mi Gente” and “Ambiente.” Balvin debuted a line of similarly dubbed smiley face-emblazoned hoodies, see-through gym shorts, bodysuits, and crop tops for Colombian brand GEF France at Medellin Fashion Week in 2018.
The singer, who shook up urbano’s aesthetic with his SoCal skater, print-happy wild style, has long been a darling of the fashion world. In 2017, Balvin was tapped by the Council of Fashion Designers of America to be its first Latino menswear ambassador at New York Fashion Week. [Remezcla got the chance to tag along for the occasion.]
This is not the first time Guess has chosen a Latino to represent the brand. In 2017, the Guess ambassador was Camila Cabello, and last year they went big with a JLo collection featuring marabou-bedecked cropped jean jackets and array of floor-length gowns.
Surely the brand is hoping Balvin’s anointment will be the final apology required for its 2005 snafu, when it widely released — and was quickly convinced to recall — t-shirts that read “Ski Colombia: Always Plenty of Fresh Powder”.