Betsey Johnson may do an affordable diffusion line—can all designers follow suit?
editor
One of my all-time favorite
designers, Betsey Johnson, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement
Award this week at the National Arts Club here in New York City.
Prior recepients include Carolina Herrera, Jeff Koons, Lynn
Redgrave, Salvador Dali, Martin Scorsese and Whoopie Goldberg.
I've loved Betsey since I first discovered her and her designs
as an early teen. Her style is very whimsical and girly yet strong,
and extremely '80s inspired. (And since it's October,
I'd like to note she's also a breast cancer survivor. Yay!)
The only thing I could possibly find wrong with Betsey Johnson, is
that her prices are too high for everyone to afford. Back in the
'90s, I found an awesome pink floral Betsey Johnson gown on
sale for $62 at Woodbury Commons outlets in New York to wear to my
prom. I have no doubt that I was the envy of many of my friends.
Sadly, most Betsey Johnson items are still out of my price range.
In fact, Saks Fifth Avenue called me this week to notify me that my
card has been canceled do to inactivity, and my most recent
purchases were at Steve Madden and Forever 21. These are tough
times for a girl who loves fashion.
So imagine how completely psyched I was when yesterday Johnson made
crystal clear that she's itching to do a diffusion line with
QVC or HSN, and a deal may already be in the works. She's
worked on small projects with QVC before, and says this time around
she'd love to do a full clothing line at affordable prices. An
entire line of Betsey Johnson items I can afford and purchase while
sitting on my couch? Hallalujah! Some good things may come out of
this recession after all!
Sure, some may claim that these diffusion lines (Anna Sui for
Target and Jimmy Choo for H&M, for example) are cheapening the
brand, but I really don't believe that. People will always
covet high end designer items, and those who can afford them will
still buy them. Wouldn't it be nice if anyone could own and
wear something by one of their favorite fashion houses? Hello, I
want a Chanel for Target tweed coat, like, right now! Karl
Lagerfeld, are you listening?
What do you think of all the diffusion lines, and which designer
would you love to create one? [
Huff
Post][
NY
Mag]
