Betsey Johnson: Style Icon

I was really bummed to hear that Betsey Johnson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. While many have been saying they "saw it coming", the news was unexpected to me. For years, she's been cranking out style unlike anyone else, and has never been afraid to be in your face with her out-there offerings. I'm not only grateful for her, but the fashion industry really needs to give Betsey the credit she deserves. 

Betsey Johnson is THE designer who, in my eyes, was the first to really not give a hoot what anyone thought of her. She was gonna do her thing and do it loud, wacky and weird. And for me, Betsey is my style icon.

To find a designer who wasn't doing what everyone else was, and wasn't afraid to be a little out there was something I personally could relate to. In high school, I walked to the beat of my own drum, and leaned more toward punk-rock/music influences and the style surrounding it. I wasn't a freak by any stretch, but I had my own style that sometimes didn't follow what everyone else was wearing. So when I came across her, I felt a sense of someone else "getting it". I  became a long-time admirer since then, and even wore one of her dresses to my bachelorette party.

My motto has always been to not do what everyone else is doing, and Betsey Johnson's clothes represents that to the fullest. She did things her way when others thought she was nuts, and not only was she successful at it, but her talent speaks for itself.

Her runway shows are infamous. Her clothes match her bubbly and outrageous personality. There's only one Betsey, and the way she's made being a bit freakish hip and cool, I thank her for. 

So while the brand may be going through some troubles, I don't think we need to count her out completely. 

I've read in numerous articles: "The cartwheels are over." Relax. I hope I'm half as cool as her when I'm her age.

Are Designer/Department Store Collaborations Knocking Off Their Consumers?

Designer/department store collaborations have been a convenient way for people to have accessibility to a brand they may not otherwise be able to afford. Not to mention the obvious perks to the designer working - accessible fashion for us little people who don't have thousands to spend on high end fashion.

Being one of those people, I'm in favor of supporting a designer that I love by purchasing a collaborative, limited edition item from a department store. Hence, Karl Lagerfeld for Macys. Let's face it - I'll never have the money to buy Chanel. But if I can get something that he designed, with the same appeal as the brand I love, at a more economical price, I'm all in.

Photos via Macys

But some people view lower-end pieces being sold in a department stores as cheating. Which leads me to ask:

Is a collaboration between a designer and a department store technically a "knock off"?

Yes and no, but for me, it's a no. So because it's a"guest designer" piece, it's not really a designer piece? Sure, it doesn't have the couture label on it, but in my opinion, it's from the same designer who's pieces you love from their other collections. The idea is there - just in a cheaper form.

I can only speak for myself when I say that if I bought a Karl Lagerfeld piece from Macys, which I plan on doing, that I would feel like I purchased a designer piece.

What are your thoughts on designer collaborations? Is it fooling people into thinking they are buying designer duds?