Juicy Couture Squeezes in on Madison Avenue

Juicy Couture opened its second Manhattan store on Friday in what appears to be an escalating rollout set to conquer New York City. This 2,000 square foot version is cleverly tailored to its neighborhood. A two story affair, it is larger than the Flatiron branch, but shares the same Barbie's Dream House goes Goth décor., and they served us cupcakes on opening day (yes, The Shophound responds to sweets). This time, a section of the first floor is set aside for the the new luxury collection called (we're not kidding) Couture Couture. And they're not kidding either with $3500 evening gowns hanging in the land of velour sweatsuits. The line looks nice enough, but we're not sure if it has enough of its own identity yet to compete on the same street with Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta and J. Mendel. Essentially, it looks like a luxe version of a contemporary collection (which is what it is). It's always a little bewildering to The Shophound why designers who have built a brand to nearly half a billion dollars in volume feel the need to prove themselves with couture. With that kind of turnover there's really nothing to prove.
Get ready for Juicy ubiquity. They are on a tear to take over Manhattan with heaps of Liz Claiborne money behind it. The real flagship (3,400 square ft.) on Bleecker Street has been pushed back to January, and stores on Prince Street and 57th Street are slated for 2007.

Juicy Couture 860 Madison Avenue, Manhattan