• USA Today , Friday, August 15, 2008 10:15 AM

Juicy Couture may rankle some parents for its high prices and risqué slogans --including "I'm a Juicy Girl" -- but no one can deny it's taking retail by storm. As classic clothiers struggle to reverse falling sales, the 12-year-old tracksuit company is expanding into every facet of fashion, from $45 computer mouse/pad sets to $180 charm bracelets to $2,000 couture dresses.

Co-founders Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, a former Hollywood costume designer and an actress, respectively, have no patience for the stuff of supply chains and fine-print balance sheets. In June, they ended any pretense and gave up their titles of co-presidents of Juicy Couture at parent company Liz Claiborne to become co-creative directors so they can focus on what they love most: fashion.

When Liz Claiborne acquired the label five years ago, annual sales were about $50 million. Juicy's sales for the first six months of this year were $288 million, up 52% from the same period in 2007, and it is, by far, the most profitable of the 25 Liz Claiborne brands. After getting "overly commercial, they are creating a culture around their brand with groundbreaking marketing," says Andrei Najjar, interim CEO of Bonwit Teller, "and imagery that just grabs you."

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