One of the most iconic brands in the early 2000’s was Juicy Couture. How could we forget the iconic crowns, terriers, and hot pink hues to commemorate our fashion icons like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears? This era was all about being a “princess” regardless if you were a teenager, a mother, or even a grandmother.
This brand mainly remembered for the velour tracksuit has unfortunately plummeted in terms of popularity, and much of its present-day merchandise appears to be their fragrance line and a couple accessories–a lot of which could be found at cheaper stores like Kohl’s or Macy’s–which is far from where it started out, when charging $90 for a full tracksuit, or $80 for rhinestoned sunglasses.
Juicy Couture was an “it” girl brand. I recall only being in elementary school and wanting to rock the hot pink tracksuit and anything that appeared on Disney Channel stars. However, there came a price for these tracksuits–even for kids! I recall begging for one, until my Mom took me to the one store that sold them for kids, and feeling a sense of confidence and happiness once I got to call this set my own. The tracksuits were so comfortable, and at the time–incredibly trendy and versatile as it debuted “athlesure” (athletic and leisure), as they could be use for working out but also for lounging or even falling asleep in. However, once iconic brand reps like Paris Hilton fell out of the news and media, the brand started to lose their following, in addition to never developing any new designs or clothing.
In my opinion, I believe Juicy Couture stood a chance at being a semi-luxury brand like Kate Spade, however, they messed up after heavily relying on celebrities to showcase the same product over-and-over. Additionally, they heavily relied on pink being their “color of recognition” which can benefit many fashion brands–but only after they’ve established credibility as luxury; much like Tory Burch and their iconic orange, or Tiffany and Co. with their signature teal blue color.
Another factor that could contribute to the fall of Juicy Couture was the inconsistency of the quality of their products. I recall stumbling across $24 shirts at miscellaneous stores and questioned why it would wind up there. It took two washes later, to understand why it was $24. However, why did Juicy Couture allow their brand to make such low-quality clothes, that was all about being high-end LA based? It didn’t fully match what they stood for, and ultimately tainted their reputation.
All in all, I hope others including myself remember Juicy Couture for being the fun brand we turned to when we wanted to be princesses in a socially acceptable way. From the bright pink tracksuits with sequins and crowns, to the bedazzled accessories that defined our era.
mallorys.fashion.blog 