Jamie Mizrahi will never forget her first Juicy purchase. “It was a waffle-knit oatmeal-colored tracksuit,” she said. “I was obsessed with it.” As the newly-appointed creative director of Juicy Couture, Mizrahi was tapped to bring the brand to its full potential in 2017. Instead of reinventing the wheel, though, her intentions are just the opposite: “I didn’t want to come in and change the brand to be something entirely different,” she said. “I really wanted to hone in on that nostalgic feeling, touching on that Juicy girl we all remember and making it work today.”
Here are five things to know about the first collection under her creative leadership, which debuted yesterday:
1. You won’t find the word “Juicy” embroidered on the back of any pants.
“I tried not to go to that place of irony,” Mizrahi told Amelia during the presentation. “I just wanted to make wearable pieces that girls will want to wear and feel good in — happy, light and comfortable.”
2. The collection is inspired by updated nostalgia:
“It’s bringing back all the things I loved most about Juicy in a way I would wear them today,” said Mizrahi.
3. Mizrahi’s biggest challenge was to introduce a new iteration of Juicy Couture without eroding the brand’s beloved DNA.
“I didn’t want to turn Juicy into something that it’s not, something that people couldn’t recognize,” she said. She explained how its meant to be broken up and worn with items you already own in your wardrobe; that it’s very much still Juicy, but doesn’t have to be taken so literally.
4. The styling incorporated a 60s/70s vibe, with subtle references to Richard Avedon and Jean Shrimpton.
AKA, it’s not just about the early 2000s. If you’re not yet ready for full velour ‘fit, dip your toe back into the Juicy pool with a terrycloth head scarf that has flowers tacked on to it. I also have never needed a pair of pink tights as badly (if ever?) as I do now.
5. Alison Lou designer Alison Chemla did the jewelry for this collection.
Speaking of the Jean Shrimpton theme, I will be waiting patiently for a pair of these white daisy earrings.
Like Mizrahi, I distinctly remember my first Juicy possession: a lime green terrycloth hoodie. I’ve watched with intrigue as the brand rode the wave of 90s nostalgia back into the zeitgeist, landing with a splash courtesy of the Vetements collaboration last summer. With the strategic appointment of an incredibly talented stylist like Mizrahi with a pre-existing celebrity clientele (Katy Perry, Kate Upton, Nicole Richie, Eva Mendes and Britney Spears among them), Juicy Couture is poised to capitalize on that momentum even further.
As for the clothes? Mizrahi accomplished exactly what she set out to do. The collection smells satisfyingly like the old Juicy, but the styling (sweatshirts tied asymmetrically, normcore-esque ankle socks peeking out from stark white sneakers, tailored blouses paired with relaxed jogger pants and stiletto sandals) introduces a delicious whiff 2017.
Click through the slideshow below and tell me what color tracksuit you’re eyeing. I’m partial to the lime green, but hey, that might just be my nostalgia talking.
Photos by Edith Young.
