American fashion designer Betsy Johnson does not make a cult out of things. The objects of the great designers of the twentieth century became for her just an improvised material from which she built the interior of her dreams.
Pretty In Pink
Betsy Johnson was a celebrity back in the days when the current fashion stars, as they say, went on foot under the table. Her career is considered one of the longest in the fashion industry. Imagine, Betsy received the Сoty Award (analogue of the Oscar in the fashion world) back in 1972. It’s hard to believe that this spectacular blonde with defiant makeup and a dazzling smile has already celebrated her 65th birthday! By the way, age does not prevent her from walking on the catwalk with a wheel at the end of each show; Betsy started this extravagant custom during her tempestuous youth.
Johnson studied choreography as a child. She recalls that she was equally attracted to dancing and lush tutus with pink ballet flats. The second hobby turned out to be stronger. In 1964, she won the Mademoiselle design competition, moved to New York and took up fashion professionally. At the same time, Betsy met Andy Warhol and found herself in the thick of the bohemian hangout. She dressed the members of the Velvet Underground group (and even was married to one of its founders, John Cale for several months). Twiggy and Verushka defiled in her dresses. But the main muse of the fashion designer was the legendary Edie Sedgwick, who became the “face” of her boutique, which opened in 1969 on the Upper East Side. It was in Johnson’s outfit that Edie starred in her latest Ciao film, Manhattan!
Outrageousness has always been Betsy’s signature technique. In 1966, she caused quite a stir when she sent supermodel Penelope Three to an appointment with the writer Truman Capote in an open dress consisting of four strips of fabric held together with thin straps. And today her outfits are worn by the most scandalous personalities – Courtney Love, Kate Moss, Paris Hilton. However, there are less odious characters among her admirers: Sienna Miller, Scarlett Johansson and Helena Bonham-Carter. In the end, Johnson’s clients have always had a choice – those who don’t like revealing micro shorts made of metallic fabric can pick up a touching dress, lavishly decorated with lace and embroidery.
The name Johnson has long been associated with a girly pink color. Not a single Betsey Johnson collection can do without it, but, oddly enough, it appeared in the designer’s New York residence not so long ago. In order for the interior to take on its current appearance, the hostess had to suffer a lot.
Betsy has always loved flea markets, antique stores and garage sales. She indiscriminately dragged the treasures found there to her apartment, which every day more and more resembled a junk shop. “I worked day and night, so I just didn’t have time to seriously take care of the house,” says Johnson. One day she found that her home had turned into a dump. I had to gather my will into a fist and start putting things in order. “I decided that a simple modern interior would be more suitable for my lifestyle,” recalls the designer.
To begin with, she moved most of the old furniture to her Villa Betsey home in Mexico. Then she undertook another raid on antique shops, where she bought several iconic design objects of the mid-twentieth century (they were to take the vacant place). To top it off, Betsy repainted the cheerful yellow walls of her apartment white: “To be honest, I did it without thinking about the consequences at all.” However, after a couple of weeks, she felt that she was slowly losing her mind – minimalism did not at all correspond to her bright temperament. Betsy’s furniture was completely satisfactory, but the background … The apartment clearly lacked life: “I constantly need emotional support. That is why I love artwork, old photographs and antiques so much. ” In the end, she again took up the brush and repainted the walls – this time pink. “That’s when the interior began to play!” – the hostess does not hide her satisfaction. Then she gave free rein to her unbridled femininity and filled the apartment with silk roses, crystal candelabra and kilometers of antique lace. “Without the lace, there was a very different atmosphere here,” says Betsy, pointing to the large windows overlooking the city.
The result of Betsy’s decorating efforts looks paradoxical. On the one hand, there are ruffled figurines, on the other, the furniture of great designers who extolled function and were ardent opponents of decoration (It is possible that Ero Saarinen turned over in his coffin when Betsy pulled his Womb chair with a crazy pink cloth!) worries a little. In her interpretation, even the kitchen sink turns into a hybrid of a dressing table and an altar. Because excessive decor for Betsey Johnson is not a crime, but a norm of life.
R.S. If you like this interior, but are not sure if you are ready to live in such a space day in and day out, do a reconnaissance in force. Betsy Johnson recently bought an old hotel in Mexico City and turned it into a boarding house for 8-10 guests. The interiors of this establishment are decorated in a similar vein.