BETSEY JOHNSON: AN ICON OF AMERICAN FASHION

Known for her celebration of the exuberant, the embellished and the over the top, Betsey has been rocking the fashion industry with her unique and original designs since the 1960's - her influence on American fashion is present to this day.

Betsey was introduced to the fashion world as the in-house designer for the youth culture punk boutique Paraphernalia in New York City in the mid 1960s, followed by a role as creative director of Alley Cat, a youthful sportswear brand. By 1969, she opened her first boutique, Betsey Bunky Nini, on the Upper East Side. She continued to have her own label with a variety of manufacturers, and by 1978, Johnson's opened her own company, the eponymous Betsey Johnson brand.

THE BETSEY DNA

Betsey’s trademark look has remained the same over her decades-long contributions to the fashion landscape: sexy silhouettes, hippie inspired flowing fabrics, whimsical detailing, and bohemian flares. “For the '90s, my fashion show days were just about not going by any of the rules, showing the clothes the way I wanted to, with the best models I've ever worked with,” she says.

BETSEY TODAY

Betsey Johnson, both the woman and the label, is constantly moving forward and continues to keep a strong foothold in the fashion industry with no signs of letting up anytime soon. Her love of detail and design is evident in everything she does in life and in business. Her enthusiasm, creativity and boundless talent that have kept her at the forefront of fashion for the past 45 years will keep Betsey going for years to come.

As one journalist recently quoted, "If Betsey Johnson didn’t exist, we would have to invent her, simply to remind ourselves that fashion can be fun. She's the original wild child and set to paint the town pink!”