Juicy Couture

Juicy Couture is an American fashion and lifestyle company founded in Los Angeles by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor. It built its name on the early-2000s velour tracksuit before expanding into a wider lifestyle range that includes handbags, jewellery and a fragrance line. Sources disagree on the founding year: Wikipedia and editorial coverage place it at 1997 [6], while the company's own site states it was "born in the glamorous USA in 1995" [3] and marked a 30th-birthday collection counting from that date. The brand remains active under Authentic Brands Group, which acquired it in 2013.

On Glowjakt, Juicy Couture is listed for its fragrance line; its apparel, bags and jewellery fall outside scope. The perfumes are produced under licence rather than in-house — originally by Elizabeth Arden and, since 2016, by Revlon [5].

The label grew out of an earlier venture. Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor first started a fashion line called Travis Jeans in 1989, selling maternity pants, and renamed it Juicy Couture in 1996 [6]. Based in the Los Angeles area, the brand drew on that setting from the start. The company describes itself as "an LA lifestyle brand infused with casual glamor and an irreverent attitude," one that "discovers the couture in the everyday."

The split over the founding date reflects how the brand is documented. Editorial and encyclopedic sources commonly date the company to 1997, with the Juicy Couture name adopted in 1996; the brand's own materials count from 1995. Both framings appear across coverage, and the difference is noted here rather than resolved.

The product that defined Juicy Couture arrived in 2001: a velour tracksuit, introduced in candy-coloured fabrics with the "JUICY" logo across the back, custom designed for Madonna [6]. Through the early 2000s the tracksuit spread through pop culture, worn by figures including Paris Hilton and Jennifer Lopez, and it became, in the parent company's words, an "unofficial uniform" [1]. By 2003 the brand had expanded into department stores internationally.

The 2010s brought a reversal as minimalist fashion took hold and stores closed; the company began shutting U.S. locations in 2014 and shifted toward wholesale partners such as Kohl's [6]. The velour tracksuit later returned as a Y2K-revival emblem, with vintage pieces becoming resale-market collectors' items around 2019–2020 and renewed interest among younger buyers [7].

In fragrance, the flagship release came in 2008 with Viva La Juicy, launched under an Elizabeth Arden licence [8]. In 2025 the brand named athlete Angel Reese a global ambassador and creative collaborator.

Juicy Couture has changed hands twice. It was acquired by Liz Claiborne Inc. in 2003 — the company later renamed itself Fifth & Pacific Companies — and was sold again in 2013 to Authentic Brands Group for $195 million [6]. Authentic Brands Group remains the owner; the trademark is held through ABG Juicy Couture, LLC. Within that portfolio, Juicy Couture sits alongside brands such as Judith Leiber and Nautica.

Reported figures for the 2003 sale vary: the editorial outlet brandvm.com cites a price of $250 million, while Wikipedia gives no figure for that transaction [7]. The confirmed figure is the $195 million paid in 2013.

The company frames itself around casual glamour and playfulness, "designed for girls all over the world." It classifies itself as a casual luxury brand spanning apparel, perfume, accessories and jewellery, and says its fragrance offerings rank "among the world's most prestigious." Editorial coverage describes the brand's appeal in terms of a hyper-feminine, nostalgic aesthetic centred on sparkle and self-expression.

The velour tracksuit, with its rhinestone logos and gold hardware, is the product most associated with the brand. Within the fragrance line that Glowjakt covers, Viva La Juicy is the central pillar — a sweet gourmand scent built on wild berries, jasmine and vanilla, which the parent company calls "a perennial bestseller and pop culture mainstay" [5]. It has spawned numerous flankers, including Viva La Juicy Noir, Rosé and Gold Couture. Other current fragrances include Just Moi, OUI Juicy Couture and the Rock the Rainbow line. The perfumes are sold through the brand's own site and wider retail; the fragrance licence has been held by Revlon since 2016, following Revlon's acquisition of Elizabeth Arden, and was renewed on 29 April 2025.

Juicy Couture is active. It operates a direct-to-consumer site selling apparel and perfume, and its most recent notable activity includes the April 2025 renewal of its fragrance licence with Revlon and the appointment of Angel Reese as global ambassador [5]. Under Authentic Brands Group, the brand has pursued a series of collaborations aimed at a younger audience.