The Library Review - The Glitter Plan by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor

In the second installment of The Library Review, I will be reviewing a book titled The Glitter Plan. Written by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela-Nash Taylor, it covers the creation, growth, ascent and rise of the modern luxury brand Juicy Couture.

I often found that there was a steep learning curve when it came to learning about all the elements and steps that were involved in launching a small business of my own. As a result, I often spent my early days reading as many books as possible on entrepreneurship that I could find. One of the fun business books that I found during those days was The Glitter Plan, a book that covers the creation of well-known modern luxury brand Juicy Couture. Although I reviewed this book a few years ago, it still remains one of my favorite books on female entrepreneurship.

Fit. Fabric. Color. These are the brand DNA of a fashion house. Bold. Brave. Beautiful. Those are the words that describe the owners and creators of a famous casual, contemporary, luxury brand.

Anyone who has ever experienced the frustrations of trying to find the perfect or acceptable outfit in the women’s clothing section of department stores will surely appreciate and be interested in the tale of the creation and rise of the global fashion brand, Juicy Couture. For that reason alone, one need look no further than The Glitter Plan (Gotham Books), a book on the formation and rise of the iconic, modern and global brand Juicy Couture, co-authored by former owners Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor in conjunction with the Los Angeles Times fashion critic, Booth Moore.

The Glitter Plan is a fast-paced, fun and unique book on an entrepreneurial business that was initially founded for a mere $200 and created primarily by two women, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor. Filled with distinctive anecdotes and episodes as Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor go about the business of building their own fashion business from the ground up, the manuscript is heavy on the fun quotient, in tune with the rock n’ roll and punk rock mentalities, and packed with plenty of rolling with the punches or walk on water if you have to moments.

In between those moments, the book delves into how Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor developed their business, constructed the Juicy Couture brand, assembled their team and created their product lines. One of the most acclaimed accomplishments of Juicy Couture was taking the modern athletic wear and making it more fashionable. Their terry cloth and velour tracksuits remain one of their most recognized and legendary signature items. It defined the California casual luxury lifestyle and created a market for affordable, relaxed and plush clothing.

The latter part of the book primarily explores the eventual 2003 sale of Juicy Couture to the fashion conglomerate Liz Claiborne for $250 million and a behind the scenes look at the events that happened once the Juicy Couture brand was sold. Any person who has had the opportunity to work in both a start-up company and a big corporation will certainly be aware of how many worlds apart those two types of businesses are. Juicy Couture’s transition from an entrepreneurial business to a business that is under corporate management is examined in detail.

One of the most surprising revelations in the book remains the reason why Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor decided to sell their business to Liz Claiborne. It turns out that once an entrepreneurial business becomes successful, they may experience growing pains and incur increased risks as well. As a result, taking risks off the table and losing less sleep became one of their prime reasons for Juicy Couture’s sale. In other words, despite all their success in the entrepreneurial business world, not everything may be roses.

Once Juicy Couture became part of the Liz Claiborne empire, Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor, while still keeping a close eye on the authenticity of their brand, were able to focus on opportunities that were previously unavailable to them due to the lack of backing and resources that a large corporation has in ample supply. These prospects included the opening of their own Juicy Couture stores, searching for more channels of international distribution, licensing agreements, product extensions and fragrances. In particular, their fragrance’s packaging remains notable and memorable to this day for its details and unique features that current fragrance packagings rarely have.

Post Juicy Couture, Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor have launched the brands Skaist Taylor and Pam & Gela. Yet, years later, the one question that they still get asked all the time is, “How did you do it?” The query of course refers to their success story with Juicy Couture. This book provides the answer.

The Glitter Plan by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor with Booth Moore Published by Gotham Books

Eiko