During 1964, she was guest editor on the summer college issue
of Mademoiselle and was hired by the magazine for one year after
graduation. During that period she made and sold clothing designs
in her spare time and later became a freelance designer, retailing
through a New York boutique called Paraphernalia.
In the 60's, Johnson gained a reputation as a radical young
designer, producing chalk-striped 'gangster' trouser suits, a
clear vinyl dress sold with paste-your-own star motifs, a 'noise'
dress made of jersey with loose grommets attached to the hem,
silvery motorcycle suits, clinging T-shirt dresses and a wrapped
cowhide mini dress which was worn with thigh high leather boots.
In 1969, she opened a New York boutique called "Betsey,
Bunkey and Nini' In the 70's, Johnson turned to Disco wear
and showed extravagant body-conscious clothes, many made up
of stretch
jersey. In 1978, she opened her own sportswear business.
In 1999 the Council of Fashion Designers of America, presented
Betsey with their Timeless Talent Award, as a recognition of
her ability to change with the times and her continued success
in the fashion world for over 3 decades.
A dress with a 10-inch extended collar, worn
by Julie Christie, the film star, made her name when it sold
in the thousands.
Betsey says : "fashion is all about having fun and mine are clothes
to have fun in". Going into the 21st century, she is still
making fun clothes.
For her Spring 2001 collection, Betsey recruited 29 Playboy
bunnies to model her line of bikinis and bustiers. It was a real
smash.
Betsey has been married three times and has a daughter Lulu.
She gives no attention to age and says she feels as if she is
22. On her 60th birthday in 2002, she did a back-flip at the
party by her pool.
In the year 2000/2002, the city of New York
decided to honour American fashion designers by placing bronze
plaques along
the pavement of 7th Avenue, the great street of fashion in
New York.
This has been called the "FASHION WALK OF FAME." Betsey
Johnson was one of those honoured with a plaque.
Spring/Summer 2003
Betsey showed the Spring/Summer 2003 collection at the New
York Fashion Week in September 2002, which was greeted with aclaim.
Autumn/Winter 2003 Ready-to-Wear
New York - February 2003
Betsey's dresses always bring out a smile. She showed full
satin gypsy skirts in emerald green and electric blue, embroidered
lingerie dresses with boldly coloured tights and giant sneakers.
Mini jumper dresses were in swirls of orange and plum. Betsey
as always, had the audience rocking and rolling in the aisles.
Spring/Summer 2004
Betsey Johnson's Spring collection was shown during New York
Fashion Week in September 2003.
While Betsey gets older, her clothes get younger. She was inspired this season
by cheeky French maids wearing skirts that brushed their bottoms like feather
dusters. She included a sweater embroidered with S M, romper shorts and the
rap singer Wyclef Jean taking his bow at the end. Her collections have a Peter
Pan quality to them.
Fall/Winter 2004
The Fall collection was shown during New York Fashion Week
in February 2004. Betsey paid homage to rockers from the past
such as Mick Jagger and Tina Turner. Her models wore red Indian
hairdresses, and Surrealist eyeglasses.
Spring/Summer 2005
During New York Fashion Week in September 2004, Betsey Johnson
presented her Spring collection. Two outfits from the show are
pictured on the left.
Betsey showed her clothes with the usual colour, verve and vivacity, with
lots of frothy petticoats and ruffles. The designer herself defied her 62 years
by cartwheeling down the catwalk. Betsey is Queen of the proms.
