Juicy Couture might be a bit like the most popular girl in your high school class. She earned a reputation for being uninhibitedly feminine and assertive—with a penchant for the color pink. But get to know her a bit better, and you'll realize that there's substance behind the Juicy girl's velour jumpsuit facade. Chief creative officer LeAnn Nealz has been working hard for several seasons to build up the contemporary label's fashion credibility, and there was plenty to be optimistic about at yesterday's Fall presentation, which drew a turnout of starlets including Emma Roberts, Kate Mara, and Anna Faris. Nealz described the youthful collection as "Sunset Strip in the seventies meets London mod squad." The eye jumped from printed paisley silk trousers to a peppy floral, slightly padded jacket with matching skinny jeans to a full-on Technicolor brocade pantsuit that hit on one of the season's biggest trends. Outerwear was a focus here, with swingy bell-shaped coats and faux fur capes adding a polished touch. Of course, Juicy nodded to its bread-and-butter leisurewear but smartly traded in those over-and-done-with sweats for leather track pants that we could imagine both casual Californians and their New York counterparts wearing for weekend errand runs.
