
Betsey
A Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Betsey Johnson
About this listen
A memoir by the internationally famous fashion designer and style icon
Mention the name "Betsey Johnson" and almost every woman from the age of 15 to 75 can rapturously recall a favorite dress or outfit; whether worn for a prom, a wedding, or just to stand out from the crowd in a colorful way. They may also know her as a renegade single mom who palled around with Edie Sedgwick, Twiggy, and The Velvet Underground, or even as a celebrity contestant on Dancing with the Stars. Betsey is also famous for her iconic pink stores (she had 65 shops across the US) and for her habit of doing cartwheels and splits down the runway at the close of her fashion shows. Throughout her decades-long career, she's taken pride in producing fun but rule-breaking clothing at an accessible price point. What they might not know is that she built an empire from scratch, and brought stretch clothing to the masses in the 80s and 90s.
Betsey will take the listener behind the tutu and delve deeply into what it took to go from a white picket fence childhood in Connecticut to becoming an internationally known force in a tough, competitive business. The book will feature Betsey's candid memories of the fashion and downtown scene in the 60s and how she started her own business from the ground up after designing successfully for multiple other companies. She will discuss that business's ups and downs and reinventions (including bankruptcy), and her thoughts on body image, love, divorce, men, motherhood, and her bout with breast cancer. Betsey is, as a recent New York Times profile noted, "a role model still."
©2020 Betsey Johnson (P)2020 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance
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Chapter 14 cut off
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Critic reviews
“The queen of out-there style bares all in this memoir, recalling everything from her experience as a single mother to the runway acrobatics at her legendary fashion shows.” (Vogue, "41 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2020")
"Flamboyant, relatable, and totally unpretentious, Betsey Johnson is my kind of gal. This inspiring book is literally a manual for how to succeed in fashion and in life, all the while remaining completely and utterly true to yourself." (Simon Doonan, Creative Ambassador for Barneys New York)
“In this celebration of female entrepreneurship, Johnson writes about creating one’s own opportunities and blazing forward despite the odds...this upbeat memoir captures the spirit and irreverence of Johnson’s colorful personality and clothing.” (Publishers Weekly)
Who knew she was so inspiring
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Interesting
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Who doesn’t love Betsey Johnson?!
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Delightful, energetic, and intriguing!
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Love her so much
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Colorful thoughtful life story
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I am Betsey and I love us!
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Great book!
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A great read- a great designer- a great spirit!
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Honest & Refreshing
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