Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Betsey Johnson At Home, 1982

Pink!
I found a  decorating book recently at a thrift store, and when I looked through it I was happy to find this photo of Betsey Johnson in the very back. She is pictured in her Manhattan loft with her daughter Lulu, back in 1982. A 3000 square foot space, she had it decorated in bubble-gum pink with glossy black accents and furniture, with art deco touches.
The beginning portion of the text reads "Betsey Johnson thinks pink. Her Manhattan loft borrows colors from the clothes that she designs, exuberant and original, without a hint of snobbery. Her fashion sense frees her to decorate in a quick-change style. This look does not have to be forever; it is emphatically for NOW."
I can't help but wonder if she still has the same loft, and I would sure love to see what it looks like now, if she does!
(The book in which I found this two-page spread is "Living With Color" by Deryck Healey, published by Rand McNally and Company).

3 comments:

Tina Dawn said...

I wonder if it smells like bubblegum too? Very cute of her and her daughter! Love T

Anonymous said...

Very late reply on this post, but my old office used to be in this loft! It's all painted white now, but when it chips off the pink is still there underneath!

Unknown said...

Hi, I used to assist Betsey in the mid 80s and had been to that loft many times (it was in a huge old building called something like "The American Thread Co. that had been transformed at some point to private apartments). She hadn't lived in that building for a very long time, but not sure exactly when she moved. It was really fabulous there and walking distance from her sample room building where she used to design and we used to make patterns and samples for what would eventually become her latest clothing line. It was a magical time and SOHO looks NOTHING now like it used to then. It was very industrial looking. Betsey is amazing and like nobody else.