Guess co-founder Paul Marciano has stepped away from the business for an indefinite period while an investigation takes place into allegations of improper conduct.
Marciano denies the allegations which have not been detailed by Guess.
However Retail Dive has reported that actress and model Kate Upton, who has worked for the brand, accused Marciano of sexual harassment via Twitter and model Miranda Vee, who previously accused Marciano and real estate developer Mohamed Hadid of sexual harassment and assault, had filed a report against the two men with the Los Angeles police.
“The company takes very seriously any allegations of sexual misconduct, is committed to maintaining a safe work environment, and looks forward to the completion of a thorough investigation of all the facts,” the company said in a brief statement.
Two independent directors were appointed to oversee the investigation on February 7. The probe is being conducted by the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers and the directors have also retained the law firm Glaser Weil.
“The board… and Mr Marciano have agreed that Mr Marciano will relinquish his day to day responsibilities at the company, on an unpaid basis, pending the completion of the investigation,” the statement said
Marciano added: “I have pledged my full cooperation to the company, and I have the utmost confidence in our CEO, Victor Herrero, to continue leading the company during this time.”