944

Santa Monica place was swarming with eager shoppers on Friday August 6th, the grand opening of the exquisite outdoor mall. Among high end retailers like Bloomingdales, Tiffany and Co. and Kitson, Juicy Couture opened its doors to California customers. Juicy Couture, whose brand name became fashion vocabulary embroidered on the buns of teens and twenty-somethings in the early years of the millennium, turned sweat pants sexy with their velour suits. But since then the brand has branched out to include a full collection from jeans to jackets and every article and accessory in between.

The grand opening of the Santa Monica store was a fashion festival for consumers who were welcomed by attractive men with platters of iced drinks and pink puff pastries. A DJ with a full set of old school turn tables spun loud house music from the back of the store. While the ambiance was quite a spectacle, the fashion still spoke for itself. Juicy designers turned their typical velour fashion forward by creating high wasted skirts from the material. Blouses and dresses could be found in flirty floral prints or a wide variety of plaid. Arguably my favorite items were faux fur jackets of varying lengths and vests of the same textile. Purses, sneakers, and jewelry accented the room and for the trendy mother, an entire corner of kids clothing gave further purchasing incentive. And never straying from their originally popular product, velour suits lined a complete wall as well as covered several floating tables.

While the Juicy Couture line was full of trendy must-have items, perhaps the chicest thing in the store was Juicy's latest guest designer: Erin Fetherston. The California native, who designs her own self-titled collection and frequently shows in New York's Fashion Week, recently signed on with Juicy's design staff. While her hair may described my Revlon specialist as cool blonde, she is truly a warm, sweet individual who gave me her full attention despite the overwhelming music, limited time, and the crowd gathering to get an autograph. When she stood up to pose for a picture, I wondered if her tall, slim stature ever enticed her to model rather than design. And while I believe she would certainly excel at any industry she chose, after our conversation I believe that both Juicy and I agree we are a glad such an innovative and imaginative mind is working behind scenes of fashion.

944: When will your designs premier in a Juicy Couture store?
Erin: I'm here for the occasion of the grand opening, but my designs won't come out until November.

944: Do you have a favorite piece that you designed for Juicy Couture?
Erin: Yes, I have lots of favorites, but I especially love this shirt I designed that has rhinestones forming a diamond necklace along the collar. There are also a lot of really cute party dresses in the collection.

944: How do your runway designs translate into your designs for Juicy Couture?
Erin: I can definitely bring my own designs to Juicy. You can see that in the assortment of party dresses. There are a lot of Erin elements mixed with Juicy elements in all the new pieces.

944: What are your biggest inspirations for fashion design as well as this Juicy line?
Erin: The thing about inspiration is it can come from many places and at any time. I feel inspired by film, art, nature, people, and my friends.

944: How do you feel about your transition from New York to California?
Erin: I love L.A. I grew up in Northern California so Ive always felt at home on the West Coast.

944: What is your favorite part about Los Angeles culture?
Erin: I really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the fact that it is more nature accessible than most urban environments.

944: Does Los Angeles inspire you?
Erin: Certainly, especially for the Juicy line. The feeling of California casual chic is an inspiration for the designs.

944: What are your goals for the future?
Erin: I enjoy working with Juicy as well as continuing my own line. I'm happy with my future as long as I am able to always be creative.

944: How do you feel about the direction fashion is heading?
Erin: What I love about fashion is that it's always changing and evolving from different silhouettes to new materials. I feel like fashions is becoming very feminine with an emphasis on pretty clothing and I'm very happy about that

944: Why do our readers have to buy this new Juicy line?
Erin: Everything in here is very unique. It's California casual and very feminine. And of course it's cool and comfortable.

Reporting by: Clea Bierman