A Betsey Johnson Safari
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
A tent at Bryant Park was turned into a sexy beatnik café for Betsey Johnson’s fashion show. For her fall 2008 collection, Ms. Johnson drew inspiration from her own time rubbing shoulders with Andy Warhol; she paired fitted 1960s-style black separates with her signature soft floral prints and loud colors. Safari patterns — as seen on leopard-print leggings and a zebra-striped jacket — were also on view. In the end, the simplest pieces were the ones that stood out, including a blue silk crepe, an off-the-shoulder sweater dress, and a playfully elegant black sequined zipper dress featuring a cutout back. To celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the Betsey Johnson label, showgoers were treated to “Betsey’s favorite oldies,” a retrospective of classic Johnson looks dating from Ms. Johnson’s 1978–1985 collections. Surprisingly, most of the vintage apparel has stood the test of time.
