It was a rough year for Betsey Johnson. After declaring bankruptcy last April, the designer closed her 60-something stores, and was forced to lay off all 350 employees. However, a recent interview with the New York Times has proven Johnson as a force to be reckoned with.
Now with Steve Madden as her new parent company, Betsey will be unveiling a new line of lower-priced dresses to department stores. Not only that: come spring, she and her 37-year-old daughter, Lulu, will be starring in a reality series. All this after her new fragrance hit stores the past spring.
“I stick to my guns, my sheaths, and my sexpots,” she said in the interview. “And I’ve always kept the price of a dress at or below the price of a round-trip weekend in Peurto Rico. That’s been my formula.”
Her formula is also the trademark pink, ruffled, and outlandish aesthetic that’s become synonymous with both the brand and designer — all of which will carry over to the new line, simply titled “Betsey Johnson.” Sold at select Macy’s and Nordstrom’s as of February for $99 – $249 (so much less than a round-trip plane ticket anywhere), Macy’s VP Lisa Andriulli says, “They’ll be young in spirit like Betsey is, but accessible for women up to 40 years old.”
They’ll also be sized more generously, which can’t be bad for anyone. (Especially those of us who can’t wear off the rack.)
Meanwhile, in March, “The Betsey and Lulu Show” will premiere on Style Network, and you can read the full interview with Betsey here. You go, Betsey!
