OOhh !! Betsey Johnson! A name and an immediate memory of the past! Truthfully, we did not realize that she was still running her fashion business, but she popped up in a recent story about the rise of the “Grey IT Girls,” the translation of which is women over 60.
It’s about time the mainstream press wrote about us. As we all know too well, we have been here all along but nobody was paying much attention.
At 74, Betsey has a 50-year resume. She opened her first shop in New York in 1969. Today, there are three generations of Betsey Johnson devotees. We have to admit that we were ones as well, even though she was always a bit daring for us. As Claudia would say, she defined psycho-delic before we knew what it meant. Growing up in Boston, the Betsey Johnson look made us envious of our New York City pals where her clothing and accessories surely fit into the “groovy” lifestyle of the hottest clubs on the planet and in London as well.
So we decided to take a stroll through her Website. One of the benefits of online is that it allows marginally successful brands to still exist, even when retail stores have gone away.
We admit to being a little disappointed in the dresses. She seems to have lost her way, as they are, sadly, kind of boring, something we would never had said years ago. Perhaps, financial constraints have taken their toll and she is designing for the mainstream.
However, let us not disappoint you as it is in the accessories and shoes that Ms. Betsey still shines. A bit too pricey but we want to give our gal a boost so we have put her on our Christmas shopping list. And we hope will you too:
http://www.betseyjohnson.com/product/SHOES/All-Shoes/SB-EVER/pc/3902/sc/3982/236061.uts?selectedColor=IVORY-SATIN
http://www.betseyjohnson.com/product/HANDBAGS/All-Handbags/KITSCH%20SWEET%20CRITTERS%20CLUTCH/pc/3903/sc/3983/240547.uts?selectedColor=TAN
We can’t help but note that designers like Kate Spade and Charlotte Olympia (of the famous kitten flats) have taken a page from Bestsey’s playbook. We all need a little more Betsey in our lives.
http://www.betseyjohnson.com/
With fond admiration
Lucy and Claudia
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