Erin Fetherston for Juicy Couture (Juicy Couture)

The ultra-feminine line’s delicately embellished cardigans, deco-inspired cocktail dresses and ostrich-feather mini skirts have been buried under a thick fortress of velour tracksuits, cringe-worthy statement t-shirts and an air of label whore-dom, begging for recognition as a fashion house that embraces both quirky girlishness — a la oversized pompoms — and youthful yet ladylike charm. 

With both founders leaving the company and several department stores cutting back on or dropping the line altogether for fall, Juicy’s future began to look a bit on the drier side.

Enter guest designer Erin Fetherston, whose holiday capsule collection for Juicy Couture went up for sale online this month.

For those hung up on the company as the ones who slapped “JUICY” onto buttocks across America, Fetherston’s line — and the platinum Barbie-doll-blunt bangs she sports — should reflect the other aspect of the brand and perhaps make a few rips through the tracksuit ceiling that’s given people a reason to brush Juicy aside as a line of high-priced jogging attire.

Most notable in Fetherston’s collection is her reinterpretation of the velour fabric that put Juicy Couture on the map, ranging from a velour floor-length dress to a chic short-sleeved velour blazer. She told the “Los Angeles Times” that in designing the holiday capsule, she asked herself, “How am I going to bring my aesthetic to Juicy's core casual product?”

With the inclusion of not only velour but also revamped Juicy trademarks such as draw-cords and ribbed waistbands, Fetherston’s collection is something of a poo poo to all of Juicy’s naysayers. 

Fetherston didn’t limit herself to reinterpreting Juicy Couture staples.  "For my holiday capsule, I wanted to reference old Hollywood glamour in a modern, California cool way," Fetherston told “Vogue UK.” Shoppers may particularly indulge in that vision through the capsule’s accessories. She epitomizes whimsical class with a gold sequin skullcap, a velvet clutch, silver glitter heels and tassel necklaces. 

While the capsule’s sales success has yet to be measured, Juicy Couture’s invitation to Fetherston sounds like a smart move, as the designer seems to have embraced the brand’s concept while swirling in her own aesthetic. 

And the most enjoyable product of this collaboration? A velvet kitten ear headband. It wouldn’t be Juicy Couture without a little bit of provocatively girly eccentricity.

Reach Lydia here.
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