Betsy Johnson handbags are best described as fun, bold, and not for those who walk on the safe side of fashion.
Indeed, recent Betsy Johnson handbag creations favor leopard print patterns - an apt design for the designer who earned the nickname of “the original wild child.”
Speaking of wild, it’s no surprise that Steven Tyler, Lil’ Kim, Courtney Love, Cher, and Madonna all have at least one thing in common: they are fans of Betsy Johnson’s designs.Growing up in Connecticut, Betsy Johnson took dance classes throughout her childhood, which inspired her creativity, artistic propensity, and a love of costumes. Indeed, her collection, with its whimsical, no-holds-barred clothing and accessories, reflects this love of the dramatic.
Winning a spot as guest editor of the magazine Mademoiselle in 1964 was her ticket into the New York City fashion scene, and Johnson - and the rest of the world - did not look back.
She earned a series of positions as designer at top labels of the 1960s and 1970s and then, when she had learned enough, opened her own boutique.
She was married to the Velvet Underground’s John Cale, who wore her designs, and dressed models Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick.
In 1978, she founded her own fashion label, Betsy Johnson, and quickly became recognized for her trademark fashion statements that rocked individuality and drama. Betsy Johnson creations also retain the hippie-inspired roots of 1960s; the designer was a major part of the exciting Warhol scene of that time period.
Johnson and a partner opened a boutique on L.A.’s Melrose Avenue in the early 1980s; she was one of the first to set up shop on a street that became a shopping mecca for the well-heeled and fashionable and an industry icon in its own right. Johnson has nabbed several awards, including induction into the Fashion Walk of Fame on Seventh Avenue in New York City.
Betsy Johnson’s fashion legacy will transcend future decades just as it has fluidly changed with the times since the 1960s.
Her clothing, handbags, and other accessories are recognizable by their celebration of color and exuberance and refusal to fit into the mainstream.
A woman who carries a Betsy Johnson handbag shows off her willingness to walk on the wild side.
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