This issue, Maria Henry explores the comeback of the iconic 2000s fashion brand Juicy Couture and the revival of early 2000s trends.
If you’re into social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, it’s likely that you will have seen a new (or should I say, ‘old’) trend emerging. This trend consists of low-rise jeans, bandana tops, tracksuits and tiny bags — it is the revival of early 2000s fashion. Not long ago, we saw the return of 90s fashion with plaid shirts, chokers, mom jeans and a good pair of Doc Martens becoming amongst the most-desired items. Now, are we are seeing the return of a period of fashion previously looked down upon for its ‘adventurous’ trashychic demeanour. People are bringing back the early 2000s and making it their own, incorporating elements of it into their modern wardrobes.
Recently, we have begun to see a number of celebrities posting #throwback posts in their iconic 2000s looks, perhaps most notably the queen of the early 2000s herself Paris Hilton showcasing an image of herself from the 2003 ‘Joey and T’ runway show.
In it, she wears a tiny bandeau top with the brand’s logo plastered all over it (in true 2000s style) and a short, shiny mini skirt coupled with a metallic pink clutch. Of course, the look is completed with a lot of oversized bling and stiletto heels. Paris also began to re-collaborate with Juicy Couture, a brand which she had endorsed and promoted in the early 2000s.
Juicy Couture is the perfect example of a 2000s brand making a comeback. Juicy actually emerged in the 1990s. Started by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, the LA-based brand originally sold maternity trousers — with the aim of making a fashionable product for pregnant women. In 1994 they began to leave the maternity sector and explore the wider market. They launched their first product under the name Juicy Couture in 1996. It was a plain V neck t-shirt that aimed to compliment every woman’s figure, in a way that male designers only dressing high fashion models may not consider.
The iconic ‘Juicy’ tracksuit would be released shortly after with the same aim — to compliment the figure, whilst remaining comfortable and fashionable. The two played with the idea of what can be considered high fashion, taking things such as velour tracksuits which would usually not be considered as such and branding them ‘couture’. This became a major selling point for the brand, who priced their original tracksuits at $155, making them expensive but not inaccessible to the everyday consumer — they promised people a slice of luxury that may have otherwise seemed distant and out of reach. A large portion of their success came from this — they were in touch with the wants of the consumer.
As the golden age of celebrity culture began in the early 2000s, tabloids were constantly reposting what celebrities were doing and wearing. This became another ideal opportunity to elevate the brand, as celebrities such as Paris, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, and J.Lo were seen in the clothes, once again showing off the tracksuits as luxury goods and making them more desirable to the everyday woman. The brand played into this, sending gifts to people (who would now be labelled ‘influencers’) in the hopes they would be paparazzied wearing them. The tracksuits and bags had the brand’s name and logo plastered across them which made them easy to identify, and people loved this opportunity to show off their little slice of couture. A major breakthrough for the brand came in 2001, when Madonna was seen wearing a custom Juicy tracksuit, this rocketing the brand into the public eye and making velour a major fashion must-have.
Unfortunately, as the recession hit, so did interest in Juicy’s products. People were buying less and buying cheaper. As we entered the 2010s there was simply less demand for brands such as Juicy who refused to change their style with the times. As such Juicy changed hands multiple times and its clothing became much less readily available and generally out of favour. This remained the case until 2018 when Juicy returned with its first-ever runway show at New York Fashion Week.
In 2019 it was announced that Juicy would be releasing a collection with Urban Outfitters, bringing its original styles to a younger modern audience. The new collection takes elements of the original tracksuits but updates them to the current trends. The branding is smaller, but still present. The tracksuits come with updated features, including hoodies with rhinestone pulls and velour shorts imprinted with the iconic JC logo. A range of bandeau tops were also released, some with the classic rhinestone ‘Juicy’ imprinted across the front and some with a smaller ‘Juicy Couture’ embroidered on them. Overall the brand created a more versatile range, allowing people to choose from a variety of shorts, joggers, bandeaus, t-shirts and hoodies to create a look that they liked, or rather an element they want to work with.
Juicy isn’t the only example of this 2000s revival. Brands such as Miss Sixty, Von Dutch and Fila have also begun to make a massive comeback, whilst resale sites such as Depop have had continued successes selling authentic vintage 2000s pieces.
This current trend is a further example of how people are always looking to the past for inspiration. When it comes to fashion people are able to adapt, re-create and alter old trends into new ones. They are able to cultivate their style by incorporating parts of the past but making them seem fresh and new.
This is in many ways the beauty of trends, as there is always something to be inspired by in both the past and the present — something to bring inspiration and something to make your own.
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All images via Wikimedia and Instagram
