BETSY JOHNSON
BY ABBY JOYNER PHOTOS BY TATI ALSTON
For her entire career in the fashion industry, Betsey Johnson has been inspired by lively, expressive and youthful girlhood. From the Youthquakes in the 1960s to the New York City punks of the 1970s, Johnson’s name can be found next to uncommon fabrics and patterns, bright colors, and avant-garde silhouettes to create a look that can only be described as quintessentially Betsey. Leopard print, neon pink, and big, costume-like silhouettes inspired by her childhood as a dancer and cheerleader categorize the curated youthful look Johnson conveys in her collections.
According to The New York Times, Johnson, “doesn’t follow fashion trends and is rarely taken seriously as a designer by her peers or the fashion magazines,” which is what makes her brand so unique; she fully marches to the beat of her own drum and shows little desire for approval of her success. In doing so, she engages in a political discourse within the fashion industry: must everything be taken so seriously? Rejecting fashion traditions allows Johnson to liberate herself from the unspoken rules and regulations of high fashion industries and simply have fun with clothing.
One of the defining characteristics of the Betsey Johnson brand’s is the affordability of the clothing lines while still being well-regarded in high fashion spheres. Currently, bold pink and animal-printed dresses run from $99-$149, and rhinestone sneakers and boots are priced from $89-$349.
Another signature of the brand is the cartwheel Johnson performs down the runway. It marks Johnson as a prolific member of the fashion community who broke boundaries by expressing herself through her clothing.
In her Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear collection, Betsey Johnson rolled out various prom-inspired looks from the ‘50s through the ‘00s. Through this collection an entire span of the designer’s work can be viewed through her girly candy-colored lens, taking inspiration from the years of her childhood up until the modern day. Pastel pops of color, stripes and polka dots, big bows, flower crowns, and, of course, lots of pink walked down the runway in this collection. It is classic Betsey: bold, flashy, and eccentric.
