GUESS Celebrates International
Women’s Day in New Campaign
with European Athletes
Femininity has been at the core of GUESS’s 40-year history, with the strength and beauty of womanhood represented across its iconic and timeless designs, campaigns and ambassadors. The power of modern femininity has never been more present in sport culture. From the track to the climbing wall, women are changing the future of sport through their strength, unrelenting determination and desire to be the very best. For IWD 2025, GUESS is spotlighting Olympic medalists and competitors from Poland, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Styled in GUESS’s upcoming SS25 collection, comprising iconic low rise denim cuts, elegant double-breasted blazers and light trench coats – perfect for those crisp Spring days – trailblazing athletes Angelika Wator, Oriane Bertone, Clara Fernández, Darja Varfolomeev, Dalia Kaddari and Daryll Neita are redefining what it means to be feminine. All six athletes will represent GUESS in an ongoing partnership throughout 2025. Photography by Holly McCandless-Desmond.
Oriane Bertone: 19-year-old rock climbing prodigy Bertone represented France at the Summer Olympics in Paris last year. Oriane Bertone said: “The main advice I would give to younger women athletes is to stand your ground, trust your gut, and do what you want to do. You are as capable as any man in whatever sport you choose to do.”
Angelika Wator: A Polish fencer who won a gold medal at the 2015 European Games in Baku. She is also a multiple-time medalist at the Polish Championships in various age categories, a silver medalist at the World Championships, and a three-time bronze medalist at the European Championships. Beyond her athletic achievements, Angelika Wątor is actively involved in social initiatives. She serves as a professional soldier in the Polish Army and is the initiator of charity calendars supporting foundations and animal shelters.
Poland’s Angelika Wator said: “I believe that femininity is something we have inside, but it also radiates outwards. In sports, we generally aim to become faster and strong – building muscles in the process – but in reality, what we have on the inside is femininity, not on the outside.
Clara Fernández: The Spaniard excelled in pole vaulting at the Under-20 European Championships and since 2018 has secured no less than 21 titles throughout her promising career – an impressive feat for a 21-year-old.Spanish athlete Clara Fernández said: “I think my sport mixes power and elegance because it’s such a technical sport. I think it’s important for girls, from a young age, to look for little things that make them happy.”
Draja Varfolomeev: Russian-born German rhythmic gymnast, Varfolomeev, is the current all-round Olympic and World gold medalist. She became the first German rhythmic gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal, and the first German to medal in the discipline since 1984. 18-years-old and already making history.
Darja Varfolomeev said: “In our sport, there’s a lot of strength and femininity. The strength can be described as how easy we make it look to the audience, but it’s really very difficult. You have to combine it all with elegance, because it should look beautiful and effortless.”
Dalia Kaddari: Italy’s Kaddari is a sprinter who specialises in the 200m event. She won gold at the 2021 Under-23 European Championships, and represented her nation at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Italian sprinter Dalia Kaddari said: “The female body, with all its strength, is capable of expressing power and elegance at the same time. I want women to support each other, to celebrate your own success as well as those around you.”
Daryll Neita: Is currently the second fastest woman in UK history. The London-born sprinter is a three-time Olympic medalist having won bronze medals in Rio and Tokyo plus a silver in Paris for the 4 x 100m relay. The two-time European champion is the incarnation of speed, resilience and relentlessness on the track.
Daryll Neita said: “It’s a really powerful thing to use your femininity in sports. You can be quite a girly girl, but also be powerful and strong, and still be courageous in your sport. I think more people are enjoying seeing us ladies succeed and showing strength while we do it.”
Oriane Bertone: 19-year-old rock climbing prodigy Bertone represented France at the Summer Olympics in Paris last year. Oriane Bertone said: “The main advice I would give to younger women athletes is to stand your ground, trust your gut, and do what you want to do. You are as capable as any man in whatever sport you choose to do.”
Angelika Wator: A Polish fencer who won a gold medal at the 2015 European Games in Baku. She is also a multiple-time medalist at the Polish Championships in various age categories, a silver medalist at the World Championships, and a three-time bronze medalist at the European Championships. Beyond her athletic achievements, Angelika Wątor is actively involved in social initiatives. She serves as a professional soldier in the Polish Army and is the initiator of charity calendars supporting foundations and animal shelters. Poland’s Angelika Wator said: “I believe that femininity is something we have inside, but it also radiates outwards. In sports, we generally aim to become faster and strong – building muscles in the process – but in reality, what we have on the inside is femininity, not on the outside.
Clara Fernández: The Spaniard excelled in pole vaulting at the Under-20 European Championships and since 2018 has secured no less than 21 titles throughout her promising career – an impressive feat for a 21-year-old. Spanish athlete Clara Fernández said: “I think my sport mixes power and elegance because it’s such a technical sport. I think it’s important for girls, from a young age, to look for little things that make them happy.”
Draja Varfolomeev :Russian-born German rhythmic gymnast, Varfolomeev, is the current all-round Olympic and World gold medalist. She became the first German rhythmic gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal, and the first German to medal in the discipline since 1984. 18-years-old and already making history. Darja Varfolomeev said: “In our sport, there’s a lot of strength and femininity. The strength can be described as how easy we make it look to the audience, but it’s really very difficult. You have to combine it all with elegance, because it should look beautiful and effortless.”
Dalia Kaddari: Italy’s Kaddari is a sprinter who specialises in the 200m event. She won gold at the 2021 Under-23 European Championships, and represented her nation at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Italian sprinter Dalia Kaddari said: “The female body, with all its strength, is capable of expressing power and elegance at the same time. I want women to support each other, to celebrate your own success as well as those around you.”
Daryll Neita: Is currently the second fastest woman in UK history. The London-born sprinter is a three-time Olympic medalist having won bronze medals in Rio and Tokyo plus a silver in Paris for the 4 x 100m relay. The two-time European champion is the incarnation of speed, resilience and relentlessness on the track. Daryll Neita said: “It’s a really powerful thing to use your femininity in sports. You can be quite a girly girl, but also be powerful and strong, and still be courageous in your sport. I think more people are enjoying seeing us ladies succeed and showing strength while we do it.”