- Drop earrings featuring purple stone and ornate drop earrings embellished with purple carved rose, small stone accents and delicate pearls . Earrings are set in gold-tone metal with a lever back closure. Gold-tone metal with glass Length: 2" Width: 0.75" Lever back closure Imported.
Betsey Johnson drop earrings featuring purple stone and ornate
drop earrings embellished with purple carved rose, small stone
accents and delicate pearls . Earrings are set in gold-tone metal
with a lever back closure.
New York designer Betsey Johnson has built her long-standing
career in fashion by following her own set of rules. Known for
her celebration of the exuberant, the embellished, and the over
the top, Betsey has been rocking the fashion industry with her
unique and original designs since the 1960’s. Her commitment to
remain true to her one-of-a-kind vision has afforded Betsey
continued success in an industry known for its fickleness. Her
ability to change with the times while keeping her designs pure
has not gone unnoticed. At the 1999 CFDA Awards, Betsey was
presented The Timeless Talent Award created especially for her,
which recognized her influence on fashion throughout her career.
Betsey was born in Connecticut and spent her childhood in dance
classes. Her aspirations to be a dancer and her love for costumes
laid the foundation for Betsey’s creativity and inspiration,
which is still evident in her designs today. In 1964, Betsey
officially entered the New York fashion scene by winning
Mademoiselle magazine’s “Guest Editor Contest.” One year later,
she landed the top designer position for Paraphernalia, a
clothing boutique that at the time housed the hottest young
London designers, including Mary Quant and Paco Rabanne, among
others. What would soon become known as Betsey’s trademark look
began its formulations here: sexy silhouettes, hippie inspired
flowing fabrics, whimsical detailing and, most importantly, a
fabulous fit.
Now firmly part of what was considered the “Youth Quake,” Betsey
soon found herself in the unforgettable 1960’s Warhol scene. Edie
Sedgwick was her house model, while the Velvet Underground’s John
Cale took to wearing her designs both on-stage and off. In 1969,
Betsey began her foray into retail by opening a new boutique
called Betsey Bunki Nini. Directly following the opening store
Betsey was offered a job from Alvin Duskin in San Francisco and
thus began living a bi-coastal life for the remaining years of
the 60’s.
Along with the new decade came new career opportunities for
Betsey and in the early 1970’s, she came into creative control of
the label Alley Cat, a label which set the trends for the 70’s
rock n’ roll clothing, with bohemian and ethnic styles. In 1972,
along with Halston, Betsey won the coveted Coty Award becoming
the youngest designer to ever receive the honor.
After a decade of designing for other labels, Betsey decided to
make a dramatic change in her life and in 1978, she formed a
partnership with Chantal Bacon and started the Betsey Johnson
label, as it is known today. Designing for herself allowed Betsey
the creative freedom to execute her vision to its fullest
potential. The same year Betsey and Chantal launched their first
retail store in the heart of Soho. In the early 80’s, they were
one of the first to open a store on Melrose Avenue in Los
Angeles, helping the street to gain its worldwide recognition as
one of the best shopping areas of the 1980’s. Today there are
over sixty-five Betsey Johnson stores worldwide. International
expansion came in 1998 with the opening of the wildly popular
London store. In 1999 the Vancouver store opened marking the
company’s first move into Canada, where there are now four
locations in various provinces. In September 2006, the first
Betsey Johnson store opened in Japan. Betsey Johnson clothing is
also available in better department stores as well as in
specialty stores throughout the United States and numerous
countries around the world.
The year 2003 marked some exciting licensing endeavors for the
company, taking Betsey’s signature prints and whimsy to new
audiences with categories including handbags and lingerie. She
continued this trend and has since added footwear, belts,
eyewear, watches, jewelry, swimwear, legwear, outerwear and a
fragrance thus effectively emerging as not only a clothing
designer but a top American Lifestyle brand.
In late 2002, Betsey was honored with an induction into the
Fashion Walk of Fame, honoring her contribution to American
fashion. A bronze and granite plaque containing an original
sketch, signature and biography was embedded into Seventh Avenue
sidewalk in early 2003. In March 2005, the Signature Awards and
NAWBO-NYC committee honored Betsey with the 2005 Lifetime
Achievement Award. And following that, Betsey received the
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Accessories Council in
November 2005. Betsey Johnson was also honored with the Designer
of the Year Award at the annual Fashion Accessories Benefit Ball
(FABB) in May 2007 and was recently honored with the National
Arts Club Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement in Fashion in
October 2009.
A survivor of breast cancer, Betsey continues to be a strong
advocate in the fight against the disease, making public
appearances, participating in numerous fund raising events and
creating one-of-a-kind items that have been auctioned off to
raise funds for many charities. In 2003, the CFDA asked her to be
an Honorary Chairperson for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer
initiative, which she graciously accepted. In April of 2004, she
was awarded another honor by the National Breast Cancer Coalition
(NBCC) for her continuous fight against Breast Cancer at a
prestigious ceremony hosted by Ron Perelman. In Spring of 04, she
teamed up with Geralyn Lucas, the author of the book “Why I Wore
Lipstick...to my Mastectomy,” designing an accompanying t-shirt
which was launched in Betsey Johnson stores nationwide in October
2004 at a series of events called “Courage Nights.” Courage Night
continued for its second year in October 2005 where CFDA Fashion
Targets Breast Cancer and SELF Magazine joined the cause. Johnson
continues to support, hosting a charity event each October in her
boutiques nationwide and internationally, as well as creating
limited edition products from which a portion of the proceeds are
donated to various breast cancer related charities.
Betsey Johnson, both the woman and the label, is constantly
moving forward and continues to keep a strong foothold in the
fashion industry with no signs of letting up anytime soon. Her
love of detail and design is evident in everything she does in
life and in business. Her enthusiasm, creativity and boundless
talent that have kept her at the forefront of fashion for the
past 45 years will keep Betsey going for years to come.
“Making clothes involves what I like…color, pattern, shape and
movement…I like the everyday process…the people, the pressure,
the surprise of seeing the work come alive walking and dancing
around on strangers. Like red lipstick on the mouth, my products
wake up and brighten and bring the wearer to life…drawing
attention to her beauty and specialness…her moods and
movements…her dreams and fantasies.” – Betsey Johnson
As one journalist recently quoted, “If Betsey Johnson didn’t
exist, we would have to invent her, simply to remind ourselves
that fashion can be fun. She’s the original wild child and set to
paint the town pink!”
