Betsey Johnson on the runway
Designer Betsey Johnson appears at Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row kick-off to New York Fashion Week, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on September 7, 2016 in New York City.
Since the 1960s, the maniacally free-spirited designer’s clothes have been the uniform for folks that didn’t want to look like everyone else.
Betsey Johnson
Models wearing Betsey Johnson walk the runway as Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row kicks-off New York Fashion Week at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on September 7, 2016 in New York City.
In 2015 the Council of Fashion Designers of America recognized Johnson with a lifetime achievement award.
Betsey Johnson
But accolades have never meant much to Johnson. She just wants to see her clothes worn.
“I never wanted to be on a pedestal,” she told CBS News’ Serena Altschul. “I wanted my clothes affordable, and fun. I only knew about what I wanted. So I was just hoping there were more girls on Earth that were kind of like me, so that they would relate.”
Betsey Johnson
A dancer performs in Betsey Johnson.
As a child herself, Johnson didn’t know she wanted to be a designer. She studied ballet and dance before graduating with honors from Syracuse University. “I never studied fashion design … I deliberately didn’t want to,” Johnson said, adding the only thing she really knew how to do was sew.
Betsey Johnson
The Betsey Johnson fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015 at The Salon at Lincoln Center on September 10, 2014 in New York City.
In 1960s New York City, Johnson was creating looks for models like Twiggy by day and hanging out with the in-crowd at legendary nightclub Max’s Kansas City at night. Within 10 years, she had her own label. And by the dawn of the millennium, her clothing line and boutiques had sales over $100 million.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015 at The Salon at Lincoln Center on September 10, 2014 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A view of the Betsey Johnson runway show during New York Fashion Week Spring 2016 on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model presents a creation by Betsey Johnson Spring/Summer 2016 collection during New York Fashion Week on September 11, 2015.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A model walks the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
A view of the Betsey Johnson fashion show during New York Fashion Week Spring 2016 on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
Models walk the runway at the Betsey Johnson fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson performs a cartwheel - a time-honored feature of her runway shows - during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week on September 11, 2015 in New York City.
Betsey Johnson
Syncronized swimmers perform at Betsey Johnson’s Pool Party at Sunset Tower Hotel on March 24, 2016 in West Hollywood, California.
Betsey Johnson
Fashion designer Betsey Johnson accepts the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award onstage at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on June 1, 2015 in New York City.
Of her success she told CBS News’ Serena Altschul, “To me, it’s just a lot of good luck and the talent and the work. But the luck for me has been the most important.”
For more info:
betseyjohnson.com
Follow @xoBetseyJohnson on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan