Juicy Couture (Q4587)
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American contemporary casual wear and dress clothing company
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Juicy Couture |
American contemporary casual wear and dress clothing company |
Statements
1995
creative director
1995
creative director
Juicy Couture is making fashion fun again. Okay—maybe it never stopped being fun. But let’s just say it’s harder to find the magic when it’s 19 degrees outside and “day one” is actually your day four. Jamie Mizrahi brought Juicy back to the Fashion Week calendar in a big way last September with a rooftop garden party at Rockefeller Center, and today she put the clothes on a runway for the first time . . . ever. It’s true—even in itsSimple Lifeheyday, Juicy wasn’t a Fashion Week label, and it didn’t really do collections. The big move suggests that Mizrahi is serious about elevating this business; luckily that doesn’t mean she’s taking the fashion part too seriously.The show’s setting was the historic, charmingly run-down (and allegedly haunted) Hotel Wolcott on West 31st Street. Its 114-year history inspired Mizrahi to imagine what Juicy Couture, a brand so deeply tied to the ’90s and early ’00s, might have looked like in other decades. There were tie-dyed faux furs that nodded to the ’60s; leather jackets with wide ’70s collars; puff-sleeved gowns ripped from the ’80s; and velour puffers that reflected, well, 2018. Notice none of those items were tracksuits; Mizrahi intentionally omitted them from the first half of the show to highlight everything else you can get from Juicy. The strategy might not have worked if it weren’t for the parade of tracksuits at the end. Mizrahi tweaked the label’s signature look a dozen different ways, including nostalgic terry tracksuits, a pink sequined version, a plush leopard iteration, and a sparkly gold brocade one. Even luxury designers are making tracksuits these days, but are you really willing to spend four figures when you could get one of these with that sweetJzipper pull?
8 February 2018
It was just over a month ago that celebrity stylist Jamie Mizrahi was announced asJuicy Couture’s new creative director, but she hit the ground running. Before anyone even knew about her role, she’d already made a custom baby pink track skirt and hoodie for her client Katy Perry, and this afternoon she was in New York to present her Spring ’18 collection in a rooftop garden near Rockefeller Center.Mizrahi’s debut for Juicy certainly qualifies as a revival. The brand hasn’t been on the New York calendar in years, and it had all but disappeared from fashion’s radar. So the energy today was palpable—what would the new Juicy look like? There were tracksuits, of course, but with fresh, relevant twists, like high-waisted culottes, collared jackets, and a few jumpsuits à la the Juicy Couture x Vetements collaboration from Spring ’17. Of course, those who were around for the first coming of Juicy will remember it wasn’t just about tracksuits; the girly printed dresses and crocheted tops were highly coveted, too. A long-sleeved lace and eyelet dress in shades of cream was particularly cute, and Mizrahi based a pouf-sleeved mini on a lace top she once saw Kate Hudson wearing.Nostalgia is a tricky thing, though. Fortunately, Mizrahi didn’t just go through the archives and reproduce looks from 2000; she was more interested in bringing back the joy and humor we remember about Juicy. It prompted guests to trade stories about their first Juicy purchases, often with a silly, self-deprecating slant. Maybe you regret wearing that full-on hot pink tracksuit with the bling-y gold charm bracelet and Ugg boots—but that was a real moment in fashion! We can laugh about it now, but it will be nice to get that excited about fun, wallet-friendly clothes again. Mizrahi’s floaty dresses will ring in under $200, and the giant gold hoops with the Juicy crest will be a big hit, too.
14 September 2017
Is theJuicy Couturetracksuit making a comeback? Some girls might shudder at the thought, but that tongue-in-cheek, borderline-tacky ’90s vibe has been trending on top runways of late. These days anyways there’s more to Juicy than those iconic velour sweats: The showroom was lined with clothes for every taste, from jackets emblazoned with glittering tigers to cute color-blocked T-shirt dresses. The starting point for it all was Brazil, home of the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics.Whether the Juicy team had the Games in mind or not, there was an athletic spirit throughout. A karate-inspired wrap dress covered in cartoonish blooms would stand up to the Rio heat, and pieces from Juicy’s new athletic line, Juicy Sport, were mixed in with the ready-to-wear, like a neon mesh jersey tucked into a cargo skirt or a floral rugby shirt over flared jeans. While there aren’t any tracksuits in the lookbook, rest assured there will be tons to choose from next May, including a few inspired by the Brazilian flag in shades of cobalt, jungle green, and yellow.
21 December 2015
It’s probably been a while since you’ve worn—or thought about—Juicy Couture. But after years of bad news for the brand, a glimpse at its Spring collection reveals that business is booming—just probably not where you live. There aren’t any Juicy stores left in the United States, but China has nearly 100. Los Angeles and Dallas are important cities for Juicy, too, but it’s clear that the real money is way east.As such, it was admittedly difficult to parse the sprawling Spring lineup, since it was designed with a different market in mind. The collection was separated into several delivery groups, each one driven by an of-the-moment trend. There were boho florals, a longtime Juicy signature, as well as graphic, ’80s-inspired logo tees, and neon tweed jackets, which felt vaguely reminiscent ofJeremy Scott’s recent collections forMoschino. Here in New York, designers have been embracing a more natural, crafty approach to dressing, but Juicy was all about the opposite: bright colors, short hemlines, and graphic prints. Still, there were a few straightforward, well-constructed pieces that would fit into even the most edited wardrobes, like the crisp ponte jackets, high-rise flared jeans, and foulard-print pants, which read like elevated pajamas. As for Juicy’s infamous velour track suits, they’re still around—they even inspired Juicy Sport, a brand-new, equally colorful new label of athletic wear.
18 September 2015
For 99 percent of the world, Juicy Couture means one thing: tracksuits. Of course, there has always been more on the table than velour loungewear, and in recent seasons the brand has been pushing girly dresses, accessories, and prints instead. But with athleisure on the up-and-up, perhaps it's Juicy's time to shine. Gray cashmere pants with matching hoodies were a luxe take on the label's early-aughts signature, and for the die-hard Juicy girl, there were glittering sequined sweatsuits in white and marine blue. We'd like to think those pieces were inspired by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, who works with the brand.There were less literal sport motifs, too, like silk trousers with white ticking stripes, tweed bomber jackets, and Tencel joggers. That being said, Juicy caters primarily to L.A. girls (literal and spiritual) who aren't afraid of a little excess; a leopard skirt here, a sequined crown there, and plenty of bling-y jewelry. The design team also considered current trends, and a mix of '70s rock and '60s mod emerged in ditzy floral blouses, leather pants, and thigh-high socks. Dolly-bird shifts and nouveau floral minis were the best pieces in the bunch, which didn't come as much of a surprise; the company's dress business is second only to track in terms of revenue. You could picture a simple LBD with sheer sleeves moving off department store racks, ditto a graphic heart-print number. It will probably take a few more seasons to really shake the velour stigma, but Juicy is on its way to attracting a more refined, mature audience.
9 February 2015
When the Juicy Couture girl needed an escape from Los Angeles this season, she found her refuge just a two-hour drive away in Palm Springs. Although the Juicy customer has always been free-spirited, Spring's desert oasis backdropreallybrought out her bohemian side. Seventies-inspired fashion has enjoyed a major revival on the recent runways, and so a laid-back maxi dress printed with wildflowers and butterflies felt decidedly of-the-moment. Ditto for a romantic lace-up blouse in the same pattern, which looked fresh paired with a classic tan trench and flared sailor pants. The latter introduced a subtle nautical theme also seen in preppy pieces like a blingy tennis sweater and a striped blazer in bonded bouclé. Styled with a bikini top and embroidered track pants (no velour tracksuits here), this was not your grandmother's tweed jacket.Elsewhere, the design team made strides with denim. Light-wash, distressed jeans were reminiscent of the vintage Levi's on everyone's wish list these days. A similar rip-and-repair effect was also created with digital printing on soft leggings that boasted trompe l'oeil buttons and pockets. Of course, the real-deal indigo pair won out in the end, but it's nice to see Juicy offer leisurewear alternatives to its hallmark velour sweats. Considering the brand is currently in a major rebuilding phrase (they've partnered exclusively with Kohl's on a lower-priced line and are opening more than 200 new stores in 2015), Juicy's latest lineup felt familiar yet forward-looking—better than expected, to say the least.
10 September 2014
Times (not to mention parent companies) may change, but the essence of Juicy Couture's customer remains the same. She is youthful, bohemian, has a rock-and-roll streak, and embodies the laid-back Los Angeles lifestyle. While the brand stayed true to its aesthetic this season, the look felt more grown-up. Take, for example, Juicy's quintessential velour tracksuits, which starred in the label's recent Spring campaign lensed by Inez & Vinoodh and styled by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele—both parties have signed on again for Fall. This time around, the design team whipped up a plush leopard onesie that should appeal to JC loyalists (plus CCD, who has a known affinity for both tracksuits and animal spots), but they also updated the signature sweats in a variety of fresh fabrications, such as washed indigo and silk crepe. Another category that felt much improved here was outerwear. In addition to transitional staples like leather biker jackets and sporty bombers, there was a terrific range of novelty tweed blazers and classic styles including peacoats and cocoonish, menswear-inspired toppers. Elsewhere, ripped, distressed jeans and plaid kilts introduced a tough edge to the mix, as did a bedazzled, lip-licking T-shirt that channeled a Miley Cyrus vibe. On the more feminine side of the equation were romantic guipure lace pieces and wispy floral dresses that would fare well with the festival set at Coachella.
14 April 2014
The L.A. lifestyle has always been at the core of Juicy Couture's DNA, and the new Spring lineup, entitled Go West, played up the label's California origins. At its Milk Studios presentation, the collection was split into several tableaux representing a typical day in the life of a Los Angeles native. The opening series of athletic outfits introduced a new Juicy Couture Sport line of trendy yet functional activewear, including leopard sports bras, hoodies, and leggings equipped with Coolmax technology intended for a morning hike in Laurel Canyon or an early SoulCycle class. It's hard to believe that the brand famously known for its terry sweatsuits hadn't yet capitalized on this category.Moving around the room, Juicy's senior vice president of creative services, Matthew Ellenberger, pointed out a cluster of looks like a sweet gingham shift dress paired with a bubblegum pink leather biker designed for afternoon shopping on Rodeo Drive. Other casual standouts included a shrunken denim jacket styled with a striped shirt, a mini cross-body bag, and a flirty floral silk miniskirt, as well as snug tweed moto jackets and slouchy striped track pants. And for a night out at the Chateau Marmont: a dice-printed shirt and matching pants, a bohemian maxi dress, and flashy gold sequined shorts. Elsewhere, Ellenberger teamed up with Baron Von Fancy on a range of graphic tees and accessories featuring the graffiti artist's signature scrawl, driving home the Los Angeles theme. A California license plate T-shirt, rose gold aviators, and rhinestone-studded heart necklaces and cuff bracelets were among the collaboration's blingy highlights. If it was difficult to imagine sophisticated New Yorkers going for most of this stuff, Juicy was still smart to focus on its Golden State roots.
8 October 2013
Everyone's talking aboutThe Bling Ring,Sofia Coppola's new film about a group of privileged Valley kids who ransacked the houses of shopaholic celebs, including Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, in the aughts. When the burglaries actually happened, in 2008, the popularity of the Juicy Couture tracksuit had long peaked. Yet there is something about the particular celebrities targeted—as well as the teenagers doing the targeting—that is reminiscent of the era of Juicy.So it's apt that for Resort, the brand's design team honed the "Juicy DNA," embracing that trashy-and-you-own-it Southern Californian look. The tight collection of black tracksuits, ponte-knit dresses, and tuxedo blazers was accented with sequins, gold embroidery, and brass studs. A muted leopard-print puffer was tailor-made for the sorority girl who wishes she were living in West Hollywood rather than Western Mass, and a tulle skater dress with overall-style straps was cool in a Sunset Strip-meets-Courtney Love sort of way. These looks were OK enough, but it was a black-and-cream velour baseball jacket that really flipped the bird to all of the haters. On the back was a tattoo heart emblazoned with the words "Love, Juicy." Worthy of the Bling Ring? Totally.
11 June 2013
There is such a thing as life after tracksuits—take it from LeAnn Nealz. The chief creative officer and president of Juicy Couture since 2010, Nealz has lifted the brand out of its post-founder muddle. The refocused Juicy is young and irreverent—certainly not fashion-forward, but definitely fun.So what's a Juicy Couture girl to wear in the post-tracksuit world? Provided she resides in a land unmolested by weather (hello, L.A.), the answer is breezy little dresses and flashy good-time gear. For shoppers interested in the former, Fall '13 holds a red iris-printed dress and a Breton-striped number strewn with photorealistic florals. There's also a cherry-red biker jacket with push-up sleeves and several varieties of foil-effect jeans, plus cheeky logo tees. The classic Juicy touchstone appears, too, albeit in a leopard version that tapers at the ankle—loungewear that demands heels, not Uggs.It's an aughts legacy the team winks at in its latest campaign video. Called "Bad Reputation," it stars models Kasia Struss, Lindsay Ellingson, and Anais Mali as locked-up fashion rebels. As one of the T-shirts says, "Good girls go to heaven, but Juicy girls go everywhere." If nowhere else, they certainly go to the mall.
5 February 2013
Under chief creative officer and president LeAnn Nealz, the Juicy Couture girl has grown up and evolved over the past few seasons. Now, though, it seems as if she's a little homesick for her California roots. For pre-fall, Nealz amped up the bohemian spirit and glam factor that Juicy was originally known for. "It's all about relaxed, easy pieces to take her swiftly from Malibu Beach to the Chateau Marmont," she said. Cases in point? A fluid black hippie-chic dress with beaded embroidery on the sleeves, animal-printed brocade jeans, and an off-the-shoulder crepe blouse paired with distressed white cutoff shorts. Slogan tees with the phrases "Choose Juicy" and "Juicy Rocks" (in crystals, naturally) were further proof of Nealz' intent to return to the brand's DNA. The most memorable look combined the "Juicy Rocks" tee with slouchy tricked-out denim and a lace blazer. It suggested that Nealz has found the balance between Juicy Couture past and future.
3 December 2012
Under the reign of chief creative officer and president LeAnn Nealz, the Juicy Couture girl has grown up and evolved. But she'll never be too old for a little Hollywood glamour—after all, she is a California girl at heart. "She's sophisticated but still playful and fun," Nealz said. One could picture her strolling on Rodeo Drive in the pale pink polka-dot shorts-and-jacket set, accessorized with a palm-tree-printed clutch. Ditto the floral minidress topped with a pink leather jacket and the series of shorts suits done in tropical patterns. Other looks were clearly meant for lounging by the pool. Nealz brought back an old Juicy Couture favorite—the tracksuit—with an updated, more mature fit. Gone are the days of the tight, flared sweatpants and matching hoodie. Here, the pants tapered at the ankle and served as a bathing-suit cover-up, over a coral monokini. This may be Nealz's way of saying that the tracksuit doesn't quite belong on the streets of Beverly Hills. Good call. The baseball jacket with "California" stamped on the back and the embellished denim cutoffs with a simple white button-up shirt, however, are certainly street-ready.
11 September 2012
As one of the CFDA's 16 new members, Juicy Couture chief creative officer and president LeAnn Nealz is moving up in the fashion industry. And she's taking the label with her. Long gone are the days when the Juicy girl stocked her closet with a rainbow-hued array of velour sweat suits. "I wanted her to grow up a little bit," said Nealz. "I think it got very young for a while." Nealz replaced the track pant and hoodie set with classic separates and sophisticated statement pieces. A mid-thigh two-toned coat with a faux fur bottom, a stretch jacquard miniskirt with a metallic crest design, and a cutout sheer lace sweatshirt (the closest thing to a sweat suit here) come to mind. But that's not to say that the latest holiday collection lacked the fun, girly elements that Juicy Couture is known for. Bright floral prints were aplenty, moto jackets got the color-block treatment, and simple crew-neck sweaters sparkled with jewel-encrusted collars. Elsewhere, gems were sewn onto knits, used as clasps on pink leather clutches, and sprinkled over denim. The Juicy girl may have grown up, but she'll never be too old for a little bit of sparkle.
19 June 2012
Juicy Couture might be a bit like the most popular girl in your high school class. She earned a reputation for being uninhibitedly feminine and assertive—with a penchant for the color pink. But get to know her a bit better, and you'll realize that there's substance behind the Juicy girl's velour jumpsuit facade. Chief creative officer LeAnn Nealz has been working hard for several seasons to build up the contemporary label's fashion credibility, and there was plenty to be optimistic about at yesterday's Fall presentation, which drew a turnout of starlets including Emma Roberts, Kate Mara, and Anna Faris. Nealz described the youthful collection as "Sunset Strip in the seventies meets London mod squad." The eye jumped from printed paisley silk trousers to a peppy floral, slightly padded jacket with matching skinny jeans to a full-on Technicolor brocade pantsuit that hit on one of the season's biggest trends. Outerwear was a focus here, with swingy bell-shaped coats and faux fur capes adding a polished touch. Of course, Juicy nodded to its bread-and-butter leisurewear but smartly traded in those over-and-done-with sweats for leather track pants that we could imagine both casual Californians and their New York counterparts wearing for weekend errand runs.
29 March 2012
Though it's gone through several phases since its initial velour tracksuit heyday, Juicy Couture has never fully shaken its reputation for loungewear. But with a newly appointed chief creative officer, LeAnn Nealz, the brand is looking to up its fashion cred—and its first-ever seasonal presentation, held at an NYC mansion last night, suggested that it's on the right track. "The collection feels fresh, young, updated, and most of all, modern," Nealz said. The core tracksuit pieces were still on offer, but they were interspersed among casual sporty pieces that were easy but more stylish than before. Mini tennis skirts paired with sweatshirt tops looked like what young girls want to wear now. Nealz also made a play for the unstoppable striped-tee trend, with brightly colored versions ready to go head to head with any on the market.
3 November 2011