Hustlers is blowing up. The new film, set in the late 2000s and early 2010s, is based on a New York magazine article about "strippers who stole from (mostly) rich, (usually) disgusting, (in their minds) pathetic men and gave to, well, themselves." It's directed by Lorene Scafaria and stars Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians) and Jennifer Lopez—and it's already getting Oscar buzz.
While Hustlers definitely marks a turning point for its all-star cast, it also marks a new period in fashion. As we approach 2020, we will also reach another milestone: the year 2000 as vintage. (In resale, something is vintage when it's 20 years or older. Something is "true vintage" when it's 50 years or older, and "antique" when it's over 100.) That means the fashion staples of the early 2000s, and soon the late 2000s, are about to rise in value.
Hustlers is filled with the decade's relics: low-rise jeans, velour, boots with the fur—but specifically Juicy Couture.
In one of Hustlers' pivotal scenes, J.Lo's character Ramona struts to an ATM while Lorde's "Royals" blasts in the background. The camera zooms in on her black velour hoodie: Juicy Couture. The brand's giant crown glitters as she withdraws hundreds. "We'll never be royals," sings Lorde, "let me live that fantasy." And then the cops show up.
J.Lo isn't a stranger to Juicy Couture or tracksuits—she's one of the reasons for the trend. In the 2001 music video of her remixed single "I'm Real" featuring Ja Rule, Lopez famously wears bubblegum-pink terry cloth sweat shorts with a matching hoodie. While the outfit doesn't feature a huge Juicy Couture crown, it's clear who designed it.
"This little known company Juicy sent these sweatsuits for me to chill and hang out in," Lopez reflected in an Instagram post last year. "I loved them so much I decided to wear it in the video with my throwback Adidas... It seemed fitting since the song is called 'I'm Real,' so I decided to be ME!!"
Juicy Couture, founded in the late 1990s in LA's Pacoima neighborhood, dominated 2000s fashion by throwing celebrity parties where they gave out free clothes to stars like Venus and Serena Williams. The fashion was improbable but popular: cozy sportswear made of velour with giant, gaudy lettering. It flashed the slogan "manufactured in the glamorous USA." (Ironically, new Juicy Couture is often made in Vietnam.)
Things really took off for the brand when Madonna and J.Lo started featuring the tracksuits on their tours and in their music videos. Then came Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. Cameron Diaz. Sarah Jessica Parker. The suits became a strange unifier: middle-schoolers and their moms were wearing them. So were famous Hilton heirs. Class seemed to dissolve under Juicy's nouveau riche sweats. Truly a fantasy made of velour.
I've been thinking about which '00s-era brands we'll covet, especially considering the dominance of low-quality fast fashion during that decade, but Hustlers and J.Lo focused my attention: We can be certain that Juicy Couture is forever imprinted in the decade's DNA.
That's hot.
