Betsey Johnson

Betsey Johnson

Johnson at the 2007 Red Dress Collection show for The Heart Truth campaign
Born (1942-08-10) August 10, 1942
Wethersfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation Fashion designer
Spouse(s) John Cale (1968–1969)
Children 1
Website BetseyJohnson.com
A yellow Betsey Johnson dress, 2006
Betsey Johnson jewelry, 2011

Betsey Johnson (born August 10, 1942) is an American fashion designer best known for her feminine and whimsical designs. Many of her designs are considered "over the top" and embellished. She also is known for doing a cartwheel at the end of her fashion shows.[1]

Early life and education

Betsey was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, the second of three children born to Lena and John Johnson. She has an older sister, Sally, and a younger brother, Robert. Betsey grew up in Terryville, Connecticut[2] and took many dance classes, which inspired her love of costumes.[3]

Following her graduation from high school, Johnson studied at the Pratt Institute and then later graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Syracuse University[4] where she was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta women's sorority.[5] After graduation, she spent a summer as an intern at Mademoiselle magazine.[1]

Career

Johnson's fashion career started after she entered and won the Mademoiselle Guest Editor Contest. Within a year, she was the in-house designer for Manhattan boutique Paraphernalia. Johnson became part of both the youthquake fashion movement and Andy Warhol's underground scene, along with The Velvet Underground, Edie Sedgwick and Lou Reed. In 1969, she opened a boutique called Betsey Bunky Nini on New York City's Upper East Side. Edie Sedgwick was her house model and Johnson designed the clothing Sedgwick wore on her last film, Ciao! Manhattan.

In the 1970s, Johnson took control of the fashion label "Alley Cat" which was popular with the rock 'n roll musicians of the day. In her first year, her debut collection for Alley Cat reportedly sold $5 million in volume.[6] In 1972 she won the Coty Award.

In 1978, Johnson started her own fashion line.[7] Her second collection did not sell well, leaving her with 3,000 pieces of spring clothing and insufficient funds to stage a 1981 fashion show to sell them and Johnson opened a retail store in the SoHo area of New York City.[4] She designed the dress that Lisa Loeb wore in the music video for her 1994 hit "Stay (I Missed You)".

In 2002, Johnson was inducted into the Fashion Walk of Fame. Her bronze plaque held one of her original sketches. In 2003, she expanded her line for 2004 to include handbags, accessories, hats, and scarves.[2]

In 2008, Johnson was a contributor to Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna's book Cherry Bomb.[8][9]

The National Arts Club awarded Johnson the 2009 Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement in Fashion.[10] She once described her style as a formula: "Take a leotard and add a skirt."[1] As of 2011, she has more than 65 stores worldwide.

On April 26, 2012, Betsey Johnson, LLC filed voluntarily for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[11]

On September 12, 2012, she celebrated 40 years of her brand with a retrospective fashion show with Cyndi Lauper performing.[12]

As of May 2013, Johnson and her daughter Lulu Johnson have a reality TV show that airs on the Style Network.[13]

On September 4, 2014, it was announced that Johnson would be one of the celebrities competing on the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars.[14] The couple was eliminated in week 4, finishing in 10th place.[15]

Personal life

Johnson is a long-term breast cancer survivor.[16]

Betsy Johnson has been married three times. She wed her first husband, John Cale, in 1968 and they were married until they divorced in 1971. Johnson's next marriage was to Jeffrey Oliviere. The two were wed in 1981 and divorced in 1984. Johnson's last and current husband is Brian Reynolds, who has been her husband since 1997.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Anne-Marie Schiro (1999-05-18). "Betsey Johnson - Honor for a Life of Celebrating Youth". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  2. 1 2 "Betsey Johnson". Biography.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  3. ↑ "Betsey Johnson Still Loves Cheerleaders and the Prom". New York Magazine, February 14, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Michele Ingrassia (1981-08-20). "Her reputation for bizarre pays off". Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  5. ↑ "Summer 2006 Quill – Distinguished Designer" (PDF). Alpha Xi Delta. 2006. Retrieved 2007-09-19.
  6. ↑ Marian Christy (1971-09-15). "Betsey Johnson Hits the Top With Funny Off-Beat Designs". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  7. ↑ Phoebe Hoban (1998-06-07). "For Betsey Johnson, the Voice of Maturity Is Her Daughter's". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  8. ↑ "Cherry Bomb: Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna's Ultimate How-To for Budding Rock Chicks". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
  9. ↑ "WHO SAYS COOLNESS CAN’T BE TAUGHT? – Skope Entertainment Inc". Skopemag.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  10. ↑ Ramirez, Elva (2009-10-14). "Betsey Johnson Receives Award, Pledges Allegiance to Fashion "Through Hell and High Water"". The Wall Street Journal.
  11. ↑ "Betsey Johnson Declares Bankruptcy". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  12. ↑ Mariana Leung. "Betsey Johnson and Cyndi Lauper – NY Fashion Week". Ms. Fabulous. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  13. ↑ Sheila McClear. "Betsey Johnson and Lulu Johnson do serious stylin’ for new reality show 'XOX Betsey'". NYDaily News. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  14. ↑ Elizabeth Wagmeister (2014-09-04). "‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 19 Cast — ‘DWTS’ Celebrities Announced". Hollywood Life. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  15. ↑ Reiher, Andrea (2014-10-06). "'Dancing With the Stars' Season 19 week 4 scores and elimination results – Zap2It". Zap2it.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  16. ↑ "USATODAY.com - Betsey Johnson fashions fight against breast cancer". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. 2002-03-13. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
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