Juicy Couture is a brand woven into the very fabric of early 2000s pop culture. Yet its origin story, transformation, and current ownership tell a much richer tale of American entrepreneurship.
The Founders Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy
The story of Juicy Couture began with two friends and fashion enthusiasts in Los Angeles, Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy. They met while working in a boutique in the late 1980s. Their first venture was Travis Jeans, a maternity wear label started in 1989, inspired by Nash-Taylor’s own search for stylish maternity pants. The pair soon realized they wanted to move beyond maternity and designed what they dubbed the perfect V-neck T-shirt, focusing on fabric, fit, comfort, and color. In 1994, they launched their new concept, Juicy Couture, naming it with a wink toward European high fashion but with a distinctly Californian twist.
A pivotal moment came when the duo sent their signature velour tracksuits to Madonna in 2001; her endorsement sparked a celebrity craze. Soon, icons like Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton were photographed in Juicy’s colorful, crystal-studded sets, launching the brand into a global spotlight.
Timeline of Key Events
| Year | Event |
| 1989 | Nash-Taylor and Skaist-Levy founded Travis Jeans |
| 1994 | Brand relaunched as Juicy Couture |
| 2001 | Velour tracksuit debuts, Madonna wears Juicy |
| 2003 | Company acquired by Liz Claiborne, Inc. |
| 2013 | Fifth & Pacific (formerly Liz Claiborne) sells Juicy Couture to Authentic Brands Group for $195 million |
| 2015 | Last standalone Juicy Couture stores in the US close |
| 2021+ | Juicy by Juicy Couture launches in JCPenney, global licensing expands |
The Brand’s Transformation
After a decade of rapid growth—at one point earning over $600 million in annual sales, Juicy Couture was acquired in 2003 by Liz Claiborne, Inc. (later renamed Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc.). Nash-Taylor and Skaist-Levy remained involved following the acquisition but eventually exited as the company shifted direction and scaled up operations.
Current Ownership
By October 2013, Juicy Couture was struggling with overexpansion and shifting consumer tastes, prompting Fifth & Pacific to sell the label for $195 million to Authentic Brands Group (ABG)—a New York-based brand licensing powerhouse founded in 2010 by Jamie Salter. Under ABG’s ownership, Juicy Couture shifted toward a global licensing model, collaborating with retailers around the world and focusing on nostalgia-fueled revivals, often with limited-edition collections.
Today, Juicy Couture remains a pop culture staple, appearing at major retailers and through collaborations, its ownership firmly in the hands of ABG, alongside fellow brands like Reebok, Forever 21, and Barneys New York.
The Juicy Legacy
From its founders’ kitchen-table beginnings to glamorous heights on red carpets and eventually, rebirth as a managed global lifestyle label, Juicy Couture embodies both the fast-changing nature of fashion and the enduring appeal of bold ideas and iconic style.
