Betsey Johnson

Betsey Johnson is an American fashion designer known for vivid colour, decoration and clothes shaped by her early interest in dance costumes. After winning Mademoiselle’s Guest Editor Contest in 1964, she became a designer at the New York boutique Paraphernalia the following year.

She launched her own label in 1978. Her designs brought stretch fabrics and theatrical detail into everyday and occasion wear, while her runway appearances became associated with cartwheels and splits. The CFDA created its Timeless Talent Award for her in 1999.