BJ, Betsey Johnson that is!

I have not been able to make a blog post in a while. But I am here today to give you a short and sweet ( with lots of pics) post on my first love in purses: Betsey Johnson.


A little anecdote: I got my first Betseyville purse from London when I turned 17. I fell in love with the quirky, cool designs she made. I went to her shop 5 out of the 14 days that I spent in London, buying every purse I thought I could not live without , both sale and full priced. I came back to the states and my purses were a hit among my peers. Girls all over wanted to know where I got my purses from and I was more than happy to tell them " Oh, they are only the hottest thing from London." Little would I know, Betsey would become insanely popular to the point where she started to sell her purses in Loehmans and other discount designer places... kind of bumming me out because that made my London originals loose their shine. But I still love them and I continue to buy Betseyville and Betsey Johnson Purses annually, only from her store of course.

So that's my little history with Betsey, let me tell you about her history.


Born in Wethersfield, Connecticut August 10th 1942, this new york based designer was making her original designs since the 1960's. Her inspiration, however, came from her desire to be a dancer and her love of the costumes.

In 1964 she entered and won the Mademoiselle magazine " Guest Editor Contest" and then landed a position as top designer at Paraphernalia a year later .


As apart of the youth quake, the 1960's Warhol scene, Betsey established her style with sexy silhouettes, hippie inspired fabrics, whimsical detailing and a great fit. If you ask me, her style seems to resemble that of Patricia Field very much.

Anyways, in 1969 she opened her first boutique called Betsey Bunki Nini.


In the early 1970's she became the creative director of Alley Cat which was a rock 'n roll clothing label.

She won a Coty Award in 1972, making her the YOUNGEST designer to ever received the honor, she was 30 years old.

After designing for other labels, Betsey teamed up with Chantal Bacon and started her current label, Betsey Johnson, in 1978. That same year they opened a store in Soho and in the early 80's opened up on Melrose Avenue in LA.


In 2003 was when the licensing endeavors began, giving her the opportunity to make shoes, underwear, belts, eye wear watches, jewelry, purses and much more.

Also in 2003 she visited Mexico and purchased a hotel and named it Betseyville. She visits there to get inspired and to work. She purchased a second house in Mexico and named it Villa Betsey. Both homes were featured in In Style Homes in 2005.


I bet you didn't know this: Betsey Johnson is a breast cancer survivor. She works as a strong advocate to fight against the disease. She was even appointed Honorary Chairperson for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer initiative by the CFDA.

I learned some new information today. You all know that fashion week is approaching and everyone is doing all they can to get publicity. Well Betsey and Sharpie have joined forces and will make a sharpie shirt. Don't worry, she isn't the only one who will get to design with the permanent marker. There will be the first ever sharpie bar on select days during Mercedes Benz Fashion week where editors and attendees can get creative with plain white accessories, apparel and you can even draw on yourselves... but idk about that. Beginning September 15, fashionistas can visit www.sharpieuncapped.com to view some of the amazing Sharpie fashions and accessories, in addition to behind-the-scenes footage and an exclusive Betsey Johnson interview.


I don't know about you but fashion has gotten a whole lot more hands on and customer oriented lately... maybe because they want us to buy more so brands like Alexander McQueen won't sink like the Titanic.


Anyways Betsey has a daughter, Lulu, who was born in 1975 and inspired her freelance gig making Betsey Johnson's Kids, a line for children in edition to a line for men and maternity.
Award Center
-1999 Timeless Talent Award from the CFDA
-2003 Coty Award
-2002 Fashion Walk of Fame
- 2004 honor by the National Breast Cancer Coalition
-2005 Lifetime Achievement Award from NAWBO-NYC committee
-2007 Designer of the Year Award from Fashion Accessories Benefit Ball



Some words from Betsey herself: “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


citation: 1,2,3

Lovin' Lanvin

Jeanne-Marie Lanvin was born in Paris January 1867. She was the oldest of 11 children. At the age of 16 she was apprentice milliner at Madame Felix in Paris. She then became a trained at Talbot before becoming a milliner in rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in 1889.


It was in 1889 when she started her milliner store in Paris. ( By the way, a milliner is a professional dressmaker and refers to a type of store that sells dresses)

By 1914 she started her Couturier house. Lanvin is the oldest Parisian fashion house there is.


She married Henri Georges di Pietro and had a daughter who was an opera singer who would become the director of the Lanvin fashion house.


Jeanne became popular because of her children's clothing and was receiving orders from wealth families for their daughters. Soon enough she began to dress their mothers as well. She had a boutique on the 5th avenue of Paris and joined the Syndicat de la Couture which solidified her status as a couturier.


Lanvin even had a dye factory, shops devoted to home decor, menswear, furs, lingerie, and perfumes, the most successful. Her signature fragrance was the Arpege inspired by the sounds of her daughter practicing on the piano. All her shops and her home was designed by Albert Armand Rateau who was also the manager of Lanvin-Sport.


Jeanne died in 1946 and was succeed by her daughter Marie Blanche. Jeanne died as one of the most influential designers of the 1920's and 30's because of her intricate details in trimmings, embroideries, and beaded decorations; all of which were her trademarks. Her favorite shade was the forget-me-not flower color.



Today the creative director of Lanvin is Alber Elbaz ( who deserves his own blog entry, and will get it very soon.)


What is most important that we get from Jeanne Lanvin is her signature in making elaborate and detailed clothing that could never be copied. Her clothing is still a staple of elegance and status as it was when she began over 100 years ago. Thought today the company is not run by member of Lanvin's family and has even been acquired by a Taiwanese media baroness group led by Shaw-Lan Wang, Jeanne;s touch is never lost.



Now I want to show you what Lanvin came from and what it has evolved into. This is one of those lines that I could NEVER afford now , but I dream about all the time. You can tell that it was made by people who know what clothes should look like and how to sew together royalty, grace, and elegance and sell it in a perfect package.




I also know that Lanvin is not a household name like Gucci, Prada, Chanel, or Versace, but I think that says something about the brand. It is not out there for a show, I mean have you ever seen anyone which a logo'd Lanvin purse/hat/shoes or whatever? No, and that's the point. Exclusivity is in, and it never went out!






btw.. her logo is actually inspired by her daughter.



and Ill give you a little men's



Citations: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,

The Infamous Karl Lagerfeld

Anyone breathing should know who the name: Karl Lagerfeld. He is a design genius who has worked with and for some of the most well known people in the fashion and entertainment world. He is one of the worlds greatest designers and it would be a shame if all you knew about him is that he designed for Chanel. That's why I am here to let you in on his life because apparently it doesn't revolve around Chanel.

He was reportedly born on September 10th, 1933 as Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in Hamburg, Germany. Some speculation has been stirring around his birthday, some say it was 1938 but many sources have confirmed 1933. However, Karl doesn't want anyone to know his real birth date, he was even quoted saying "born neither in 1933 or 1938." He has one older sister named Martha Christiane and a half sister , Thea.

As for his last name, he changed it because Lagerfeld "sounds more commercial."

His father was German and made a lot of money from introducing condensed milk to Germany. His mother was a lingerie saleswoman in Berlin when she met her husband in 1930. His family was very wealthy. He was raised on a 12,000 acre estate. At the age of 4 he insisted on having his own valet because he liked to change clothes several times a day. His mom was kind of... I'll just say different. She didn't want him to wear glasses, though he needed them, because she said children with glasses are the ugliest thing in the world. She criticized his smoking because he had to show his hands which she believed where not beautiful.

Karl moved to Paris in the early 50's. He worked as a draftsman for a fashion houses. A draftsman drew pictures of fashions instead of having photographers. This made his drawing skills in tip top shape.

(this is supposed to be Michelle Obama)

During the mid 50's at the age of 22 Lagerfeld was given the position as an apprentice at Pierre Balmain after winning getting second place ( to Yves Saint Laurent) in a competition for a coat sponsored by International Wool Secretariat. This was the birth of a rivalry.

A while after his second place win he told the press that designing coats was his list favorite thing to design and that he really loved little black dresses. But then, YSL won the contest for a dress design, beating Lagerfeld.


This led Lagerfeld to say that he wasn't very impressed.

After three years at Balmain in 1958, he went to work for Jean Patou where he was given a lot of experience. He designed under the know Roland Karl and his first collection was not very well liked. However his second collection was a great improvement. In the 1960's he made a collection with vary short skirts, the shortest in Paris and needless to say, people did not like it.

He decided that he had enough of Paris and moved to Italy to continue his fashion education. He didn't exactly go back to school while in Italy, he spent 2 years mostly on the beaches where he claimed to have " studied life."

He worked as a freelance designer for brands like Mario Valentino, Repeto, and Monoprix. He also was able to open up his own shop with the help of his parents.


In true Karl Lagerfeld fashion, outside of the box, he consulted with a lady named Madame Zereakian, Christian Diors's Armenian fortune teller who told him that he would succeed in fashion and perfume.

Karl designed for a Roman couture house called Tiziani founded by Evan Richards of Texas. When the brand decided to do ready to wear in about 1963 Evan and Karl sketched up 90 outfits. Karl remained with the company until about 1969 after bringing in fans of the label such as Elizabeth Taylor, Dorix Duke and Lollobrigida.



Karl freelanced for Chloe in 1964 starting off with a few pieces and ending up making a whole collection. In 1970 he collaborated with Curiel. His first collection with them was "drippy drapery elegance." There were velvet shorts and black ankle length capes. True to Karl's personality.


his Spring 1973 collection for Chloe got Karl a lot of press. He made the surprise skirt that was ankle length pleats and actually pants and he designed looks inspired by Carmen Miranda, mini bra dresses and short skirts.

He makes a lot of clothing that is inspired by people in culture. He line of Chanel that was inspired by Amy Winehouse.


In 1972 Karl worked with Fendi making furs, clothing and accessories. During the 70's he also designed costumes for theatrical productions. Being a costume designer really helps with your couture work and vice versa. No wonder he is such a genius !

In 1983 Karl was hired by Chanel's corporate head to reinvent the Chanel brand since the death of Coco in 1971. Karl was said to have a weird psychic connection with Coco saying that he could Chanel her to reinvent the brand, but he never wore Chanel himself.

Here is a quote for thought: Luxury is not the opposite of poverty but the opposite of vulgarity.

Karl had a lot of international success as well. He worked with H&M, Trevira, Wolford and Philip Colbert.

In 2006 he announced his launch of his new collection called K Karl Lagerfeld with T shirts and jeans. Karl has a deal with Dubai Infinity Holdings to design homes on Isla Moda, the world's first dedicated fashion island. Fashion Island?!!?!? Can we say SPRING BREAK!



Karl has done a little of everything. He is truly well rounded in the fashion and design world. However, he didn't become so renowned without a few hiccups along the road.

• In the 90's Anna Wintour walked out of one of his shows because he hired strippers and an adult film start to model his collection for Fendi.
• PETA had a some issues with Karl, of course because they have problems with almost every major designer. He believes that banning fur is childish and in a meat eating world it would be absurd.
  
• He had a few problems with Heidi Klum saying that she was no runway model, that she was too heavy. He reportedly said she was a commercial model. Then stories developed that he did not say that and it was in fact a quote from Wolfgang Joop. Karl said that he didn't now Heidi because she never worked in Paris.
• Karl did, however, give his take on Seal's skin, saying " I am no dermatologist but I wouldn't want his skin. Mine looks better than his. He is covered in craters."
• 
• Karl, in his interview as Coco Chanel in Harper's Bazaar, said that he ( Coco) was never a feminist because she was never ugly enough for that.
• Karl was not happy with the movie Coco Before Chanel's lead, Audrey Tautou and told the press he would have rather Penelope Cruz play the part, this followed his anger towards the actress for wearing Chanel Rubber Boots to an interview. He said he was unaware that Chanel made rubber boots, inferring that her boots where knockoffs.
• 
• Of course there is some weight controversy. In the issue he believes that we should focus on the amount of obese people in the world rather than on the small amount of women who are considered underweight.

Speaking of weight, Lagerfeld lost 90lbs on a low calorie diet and turned this infamous diet into a book. He lost the weight because he wanted to dress differently and wear clothes by designer Hedi Slimane. Right now his ambition in life is to wear a size 28 in jeans.


btdubs ( btw) he met Beth Ditto and considered her a muse, and she is two of the things he doesn't like, fat and a feminist.




I really respect Karl for all the work he has done. He is definitely an inspiration to us all. I am really astonished to learn that he was not the best friend of Coco Chanel because how I have him associated in my mind is only with Chanel and no other brand. I mean he had a whole career before Chanel and he has his own thing going on while he is with Chanel. I appreciate his honesty and his ability to stay true to himself and what he believes in, whether or not the public likes it. For example, his list of 10 things that he CAN do without include: food, fat people, children, going to other places that involve people, going to other places at all, people who try to touch him, people who try to analyze him, the nineties, technology and the Internet, and love. If that isn't honest I do not know what is. He is very against the norm, he ever said he is pro-prostitution.


I'll leave you with Mr. Lagerfeld's words: “This is not an easy job, because I have the understanding about Chanel and couture design that nobody has anymore. I have the training that nobody else has. This job is not free. I am not going anywhere.”


Also check out his twitter page... 95,933 followers and following no one. Typical!

Citations:1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9