Image Credit: Matthias Clamer/Style
“Hi, I’m Betsey Johnson, and I design clothes.”
Legendary designer Betsey Johnson uses that simple sound bite — rather understated for such a larger-than-life lady — to launch the first episode of her eponymous reality show XOX Betsey Johnson, an inside look at the reboot of Johnson’s once-hot brand now under the purview of mega shoe company Steve Madden, which took ownership after Johnson’s 65-store company went bankrupt in 2012.
At the outset of the show, Johnson’s new team at Steve Madden outlines a three-point plan for her business relaunch: 1) Let the world know she still exists via personal appearances, 2) Create a fashion retrospective of her work to present at Fashion Week, and 3) Ramp up sales on betseyjohnson.com, which Johnson hilariously refers to as “webbing.” Betsey makes it immediately clear, however, that she’s nervous about working for someone else, surely a preview of fireworks to come later in the season.
