Celebrity Name: Hyunjin
Brand Name: GUESS
Deal Type: Global Brand Ambassador / Campaign Front
Announced: March 27, 2026
Impact: Positions GUESS for a youth-focused, K-pop–aligned rebrand while elevating Hyunjin’s status as a fashion and culture leader
- GUESS drops its second Spring/Summer 2026 campaign starring Hyunjin of Stray Kids as Global Brand Ambassador, officially launched March 27, 2026.
- The campaign features a Korea-led creative direction developed exclusively around Hyunjin’s personal style: denim-heavy looks including wide-leg silhouettes, bootcut fits, hoodies, and ringer tees.
- GUESS Co-founder Paul Marciano personally endorsed the collaboration, calling Hyunjin the embodiment of the brand’s free-spirited, youthful identity and signaling a major new era for the label.
- Campaign visuals are rolling out globally across GUESS JEANS flagship stores in Los Angeles and Tokyo, selected retail locations, and all official online and social media platforms.
GUESS is turning a new page, and it’s written in denim. On March 27, 2026, the iconic American brand officially unveiled the second drop of its Spring/Summer 2026 global advertising campaign, fronted by Hyunjin of Stray Kids, who was named the brand’s Global Ambassador earlier in March.
The campaign swaps nostalgia for a sharper, more expressive energy. Built around a Korea-led creative direction designed exclusively with Hyunjin in mind, the visuals feature denim-heavy styling: wide-leg silhouettes, bootcut fits, classic white tees, hoodies, and ringer tops, reflecting his signature sense of style and stage presence.
GUESS Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Paul Marciano made the vision clear: Hyunjin represents the free-spirited energy of a new generation, and this campaign signals fresh momentum for the brand’s next chapter.
Hyunjin has built an impressive runway of luxury fashion partnerships, previously serving as Global Ambassador for Versace and Ambassador for Cartier, while continuing to thrive with Stray Kids, whose album HOP (December 2024) featured his self-composed track “So Good.” He also collaborated with American artist d4vd on the single “Always Love” in June 2025.
This follows a broader K-pop fashion wave. Just recently, Stray Kids’ own Felix was named Global Icon and Ambassador for Adidas, while BLACKPINK‘s Jennie partnered with Frankie’s Bikinis on a new collection, further proof that K-pop artists are reshaping global fashion marketing.
Takeaways
This deal says a lot more than just “K-pop star meets denim brand.” GUESS is making a deliberate pivot toward youth culture, and choosing Hyunjin, a performer known for both refined artistry and a cult global fanbase, sends a message that the brand is ready to speak to a new generation on their own terms.
The Korea-led creative direction is particularly telling. This isn’t a standard celebrity endorsement where a famous face is dropped into existing branding.
GUESS built the campaign around Hyunjin’s identity, which suggests deeper investment in authenticity, and in the enormous purchasing power of Stray Kids’ global fanbase, known as STAY.
With two Stray Kids members now fronting major Western brand campaigns (Hyunjin for GUESS, Felix for Adidas), is K-pop becoming the go-to engine for global fashion marketing in 2026?
Could this GUESS partnership eventually lead to a co-designed Hyunjin capsule collection, and what would that do for the brand’s cultural credibility?
