How Juicy Couture Started
In 1995, while living in Pacoima, California, Gela Nash and Pamela Skaist-Levy began to start their own fashion label. Their company was originally called Travis Jeans and was started to sell maternity pants. However in 1996 the founders decided to change the name to Juicy Couture and began designing a girly range of clothing that would be equal to major labels but available and affordable to the general public.
Their affordable line, which they labelled Juicy Couture” included mostly athletic and casual wear and saw great success due to the velour tracksuit they created which helped them to achieve a significant rise in popularity. The pair did not have a lot of money when starting the company and so progress was generally slow before the success of the velour tracksuit.
The success of the tracksuit was down to the pair actively seeking public exposure for their brand. In 1996, shortly after establishing their company, they sent completed designs to celebrities including Madonna. The company sent a velour track suit embroidered with “Madge” on it and the singer was seen wearing the track suit, instantly creating a trend and providing the company with a lot of success.
In the 2000s the company established flagship stores and became widely available, allowing the brand to grow significantly and gain worldwide popularity. In 2006 the pair introduced a new high fashion line called “Couture Couture” which consisted of 20 pieces and much higher prices, reflecting the new lifestyles of the two founders.
Today the brand’s clothing remains consistent but the company has been able to expand into cosmetics, jewellery, handbags and children’s clothing. The company has also started to produce a plus-size line called “Extra Juicy”. The line was sold exclusively in Nordstrom stores but has since been made widely available. The company also ventured into men’s fashion however their line was halted when a designer left the company.
Find out more about Juicy Couture Watches or their competitors Ice Watches.