Betsey Johnson Given the National Arts Club's Highest XOX
What do you give a woman who has been a style icon for almost 50 years, can call Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick, and the Velvet Underground her intimate friends, and has spawned a fashion empire that remains beloved by women of almost every generation today? If you're the National Arts Club in New York City, you just add to the list of designer Betsey Johnson's superlatives by bestowing on her your highest award, the Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement. And so it was that NYC's cultural and fashion glitterati gathered on Tuesday, October 3 to fete one of fashion's timeless dynamos. People from all walks of life filled the room: young/old, white/black, bookish/fashion die-hards. Yet everyone wearing a Betsey frock--or tights, or perfume, or shoes, which people were not shy about disclosing-- possessed the spirit and energy that infuses all of Betsey's creations: fearless, vivacious, and just plain fun. The designer herself bounded around the room greeting old and new friends, and there was more than one request for her to complete one of her signature cartwheels (she declined). With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Johnson a breast cancer survivor, special attention was also paid to her substantial contributions in the fight against the disease. Surrounded by family, colleagues, and tons of admirers, Betsey was clearly floored and over the moon. "It doesn't get better than this," she said. For us, too, Betsey--thank you and xox! Check out the slideshow for flicks from Betsey's award night.Photo credit: Ben Gabbe
