betsey

Betsey Johnson was born on August 10th, 1942 in Wethersfield, Connecticut. As a child Betsey was interested in dance; her dance costumes are what inspired her to be a fashion designer. After graduating high school, Betsey studied at Pratt Institute, and then later graduated from Syracuse University. Betsey and John Cale were married in 1967 and divorced in 1971. In 1975 Betsey's daughter, Lulu, was born; Lulu helps her mother in the fashion business. Betsey battled through breast cancer. Betsey Johnson currently lives in New York, but once a month she takes a week long visit to her house in Mexico, which she named "Betseyville."

Betsey's design career started when she entered and won a Mademoiselle Guest Editor Contest. After about a year Betsey became the in-house designer for the Manhattan boutique, Paraphernalia. In 1969 she opened up her own boutique called Betsey Bunki Nini in New York's Upper East Side. In the 1970s she claimed the fashion label "Alley Cat;" this was popular with the rock 'n roll musicians. In 1972 she won the Coty award. In 1978 she started her own fashion line. Also in 1978, she opened up her first retail store in Soho. There are over forty-five of her stores now, worldwide. She has designed for many celebrities, like Courtney Love, Sarah McLachlan and Salma Hayek.