Betsey Johnson's Lasting Legcacy on Y2K Fashion

One cannot talk about Y2K fashion without mentioning Betsey Johnson. While she often gets left out of the lists of the most influential designers of the time, favoring more high fashion alternatives like Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs, Johnson's brand had a major influence on consumers. 

While her aesthetic has been synonymous with the Y2K revival as of late, Johnson started her career decades earlier. In 1964, she won a scholarship contest to become the guest editor at Mademoiselle. She eventually took on a full-time role there while making clothes for herself and her friends. Mademoiselle featured one of her pieces in their shopping section and her career immediately skyrocketed. Paul Young, who had just launched the "youthquake" brand Paraphernalia called asking for her to design for them, and that became her new home. 

Johnson's time at Paraphernalia connected her with pop-culture icons of the '60s like Andy Warhol, Eddie Sedgwick, Twiggy, and The Velvet Underground. Eventually, she left in 1969 to open her own boutique with two friends. At the same time, she took a brief role designing for junior's label, Alley Cat. 

In 1978, Johnson finally opened her namesake brand with ex-model and longtime friend, Chantal Bacon. Only a year later, she opened her first store in SoHo, New York City. Between the connections she made the previous two decades and her pretty-meets-punk style perfectly fitting in with the punk and new wave movements, Johnson soon became a household name. Everyone from Cyndi Lauper to Debbie Harry became "Betsey Girls." 

Before Johnson's first show in 1981, she made a decision that would later become her signature; she cartwheeled down the runway. Originally saying it was just because she loved being up there and wanted to stay with the models, it became a part of her brand. She later said that she's never going to stop, that as long as she can, she'll cartwheel down the runway. 

Though it wasn't her intention, it was just another way Johnson subverted the standard practices of the fashion industry. While her peers would step onto the runway for a quick bow, she was basking in her well-deserved applause. When minimalism took over the '90s, Johnson stayed true to herself and kept her pink tutus and almost costume-like runway looks. She knew what her customers wanted and her customers knew her aesthetic. 

Now, with the revival of Y2K fashion trends, Johnson's vintage pieces are some of the most in demand. Olivia Rodrigo and Addison Rae have both worn older Betsey pieces. In fact, Rodrigo has been one of the biggest champions of the designer's comeback. 

Wearing vintage tulle Betsey Johnson dresses with fishnets and combat boots on her sold-out world tour, Rodrigo has perfectly encapsulated the Betsey Girl aesthetic. Johnson's biggest break since the sale of her company came from the singer's 2022 Met Gala look, the designer's first appearance at the major fashion event. The butterfly clips in Rodrigo's hair were a collaboration between Johnson and Jennifer Behr, inspired by accessories shown on her Spring/Summer 1997 runway. The clips came in two versions and both sold out almost immediately. 

Even if you missed out on the Met Gala hair clips, Johnson has plenty of kitschy accessories available on her website, and there's always the option of buying her vintage pieces secondhand. The key to the Betsey Girl style is the same as the key to Johnson's success: make your own rules and have fun doing it.