Juicy Couture has secured consummate New Yorker Erin Fetherston (she of the statement fringe and pretty dresses favoured by the likes of Zooey Deschanel and Anne Hathaway) as "guest designer and creative consultant" until the end of 2011.
It's a significant forward step for the notorious LA brand, which generated $540 million in sales in 2009 and whose founders, Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy, 'retired' from day-to-day operations earlier this year.
"We don't want it to be a revolving door for guest designers, à la Target and H&M. We found a great fit with Erin," Edgar Huber, president of Juicy Couture, tells today's WWD. "We are always looking for ways to integrate the best creative talent into our brand. We look forward to seeing what the collaboration will bring."
Established in 2006, Juicy Couture shot to pop culture fame owing to the success of its velour tracksuit and expanded wildly from there. It now counts children's wear, fragrances, accessories, handbags, sleepwear, footwear and jewellery among its product categories and is stocked in outlets globally.
It's the tracksuit, however, that Fetherston - who will continue to design for her own-name label for the duration of her new contract - is super keen to get her hands on.
"Something I find very exciting is the Juicy Couture track suit is coming on its 10-year anniversary. It's such an iconic piece in fashion, and I'm so excited to work on it," she says.
As for the rest of the collection, she's vowed to "stay true to the Juicy Couture DNA" when she takes the reins on 1 May.
"There are exciting and innovative ways for me to contribute. I love the brand's feeling," she says. "I think this is an incredible opportunity. I relate to their fun-loving sense of irreverent, feminine fashion."
She has already met with the label's design team and had a tour of its offices ahead of her start date of 1 May.
Picture: Erin Fetherston on her own label spring/summer 2010 catwalk.
juicycouture.com
