Do you remember Betsey Johnson’s stores? Betsey Johnson’s boutiques used to be the epitome of experiential shopping. The checkerboard floors, the poppy punk rock posters, the pink walls, the neon signs…
The Betsey Johnson store was the very first place I ever bought a piece of “designer” fashion. I still actually have it in my collection. It was an extremely oversized zebra print elongated pear shape ring, rimmed in rhinestones and made of brass. Next year, I saved up for my next biggest purchase, a Betsey Johnson red leopard print wrap dress. I wore it so much that I eventually had to stop because it was in tatters.
Part of the reason why I loved those pieces so much wasn’t just because they were Betsey Johnson, but because of the experience the whole boutique gave off. If you ever went to the Betsey Johnson store in Soho, New York, you’d also remember the incredible pinkness of it all. The walls alive with sound, color and life.
According to New York Magazine, Betsey Johnson began her career as a Warhol groupie in Soho, opening her first boutique in the city by 1969, with Edie Sedgwick as her fit model.
In 2012, Betsey Johnson finally decided to close all her stores, including her four New York City stores. Since then, I haven’t found a single store that has quite the devoted aesthetic as a Betsey Johnson store. I would love to see Betsey start a new line completely free of licensing and bring back a store that was as interesting as her originals. The only closest thing would be the Anna Sui store in Soho, which is equally decorated (let’s hope it never closes)!
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