Las Vegas Weekly

February 4, 2009 · 7:18 AM

Photo Gallery: Las Vegas-born Juicy Couture ripe with success

By Robin Leach

Juicy Couture co-founders Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor are riding high after the success of their internationally renowned clothing company.

Photo: WJA

Viva La Juicy! It’s one of the most successful fashion business stories to ever come out of Las Vegas! The tale of triumph began in December 2004 when Juicy Couture’s co-founders and creative directors Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy opened their first 1,500-sqare-foot location at Caesar’s Palace’s Forum Shops.

Today they have 61 stores across America with another five set to open before year’s end. That’s in addition to the 15-plus stores overseas in Italy, Japan, Hong Kong and Dubai, with more to come this year in London and 10 new stores throughout Asia. All told, that’s 93 locations worldwide in less than five years!

The contemporary women’s fashion line and accessories with its suggestive saucy sayings is so successful that tomorrow, they will shut the original store -- and open a new one double the size and turn the shuttered shop into the first Juicy Intimates underwear store. To prove their love of Vegas, the ladies are taking 10 percent of all sales for the first four days of the larger 4,800-sqare-foot location and donating the money to the Nevada Cancer Institute.

“Vegas carries great sentimental value for us,” Gela told Vegas DeLuxe. “After expanding across the world, it’s great to come back to where it all started and open a fabulous new place for all our Vegas Juicy girls to play. At the time, we were so nervous about it that we were on the floor crying into margaritas wondering if it was too soon to open stores, but the risk paid off. It was thrilling to see visitors and locals flock to the boutique to experience Juicy.”

The tiny shop became a goldmine, and now the new store will feature expanded Juicy Couture Kids and Baby fashions and new men’s line Dirty English. Additionally, some apparel and accessories will be Vegas exclusives! That includes Choose Vegas velour tracksuits for women and kids and rebellious Riot on the Strip T-shirts for men.

Gela added: “The interior of the new store is a fantasy shopping experience -- very irreverent and playful. The decor merges punk rock, English equestrian and California surfer aesthetics furnished with Louis the XVI decor with a Jacobean ceiling, Oriental rugs, distressed oil paintings and taxidermy complete with makeup!”

Juicy will host a celebration party tomorrow starting at 6 p.m.

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