Betsey Johnson Knows How to Party

Between the live band belting out covers from the popular punk band Blondie, glasses of pink bubbly champagne paired with a matching hot pink straw being passed around rampantly through the audience, and pretty, adolescent models dressed head to toe in over-the-top embellished bright tutus, sparkly leggings, leopard-print ball gowns and gigantic globs of glitter doused across both their lips and eyelids, it may sound like a detailed description of a wild rave; however, for Betsey Johnson it was just a typical celebration of her beloved fashion week.

Betsey’s staple of her whimsical line is “the party dress” so it made perfect sense for the eccentric 67-year-old to push aside the runway aspect of the ordinary fashion week setting and throw a rockin’ party at The Plaza!

The breathtaking models including Georgia May Jagger joined Betsey on stage to debut her extraordinary 2010 Spring Rock & Roll Debutante Ball collection. After six days of a heavily structured and somewhat repetitive assembly line of fashion show after fashion show, editors, retailers, and stylists felt a breath of fresh air as they entered The Plaza and embraced the relaxed, celebratory atmosphere that Miss. Johnson is all about.

If there is anyone alive that literally has the power to turn the prestigious Plaza hotel into an all out out-of-control masquerade ball, that lady would hands down be Betsey.

Instead of a DJ, there was a Norwegian rock princess by the name of Ida Maria there to entertain the crowd as she belted out her own hit singles, as well as phenomenal covers of 70s favorites including Deborah Harry. The models along with Betsey joined in as they rocked the night away singing and dancing to the playful music. Shortly after introducing her line and thanking everyone for joining her for the evening, Johnson did her signature cartwheels through the audience and joined the party!




As a child growing up in Wethersfield, Connecticut, Betsey took a wide range of dance classes that sparked her life-long love affair for costumes. After attending Syracuse University, where Johnson was a popular sorority girl, she married John Cale from the band The Velvet Ground, only to divorce just two years later. She later had a daughter LuLu, who works with her.

Johnson’s fashion career began the day she won the contest for Mademoiselle’s Guest Editor. Just one short year later, she became the in house designer for the Manhattan-based boutique Paraphernalia. Back in the 60s and 70s Betsey was credited for being part of the influential ‘Youthquake Fashion Movement’, as well as Andy Warhol’s underground scene alongside the equally iconic Edie Sedgwick, Loud Reed and The Velvet Underground.

In 1969 Johnson opened up her own shop called Betsey Bunki Nini, where Sedgwick worked as her in-store model. She even designed all of the clothing for Edie’s last film, “Ciao! Manhattan”. Betsey’s success continued as she gained entire control of the edgy line Alley Cat, which was very popular among rock n roll musicians in the 70s.

In 1972 she won the Coty Award, which up until 1985 was considered one of the most prestigious awards in fashion. Six years later, Johnson decided to launch her very own fashion line and opened up shop in SoHo. She currently owns over fifty boutiques worldwide. As of 2002, Johnson was inducted into the Fashion Walk of Fame. Just one year later she further expanded her horizons by adding handbags, accessories, hats and scarves to her signature line.

Not only is she a role model in the fashion industry, but Johnson is also a survivor of breast cancer. To this day she continues to be a strong advocate in the fight against the disease. She is an Honorary Chairperson for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer initiative.


Although she is in her late sixties, Johnson shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Rather, she continues to maintain her strong position in the fashion industry. Betsey said it herself, “Making clothes involves what I like…color, pattern, shape and movement…I like the everyday process…the people, the pressure, the surprise of seeing the work come alive walking and dancing around on strangers. Like red lipstick on the mouth, my products wake up and brighten and bring the wearer to life…drawing attention to her beauty and specialness…her moods and movements…her dreams and fantasies.”