Betsey Johnson Biography

Fast Facts

• The National Arts Club presented her with its 2009 Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement in Fashion
• Was inducted into the Fashion Walk of Fame in 2002
• Won "Mademoiselle" magazine's Guest Editor Contest in 1964, catapulting her into the New York fashion scene
• Studied at the Pratt Institute and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Syracuse University
• Spent her childhood taking dance classes, and her love for costumes laid the foundations for her future as a fashion designer
• Interned at Mademoiselle magazine during the summer following her college graduation
• Held the top designer position for the clothing boutique Paraphernalia
• Her feminine and whimsical designs began to gain traction in the fashion industry in the 1960s
• Joined the Alpha Xi Delta women's sorority at Syracuse University
• Known for doing a cartwheel at the end of her fashion shows