Fall 2012 found the inexhaustible Betsey Johnson in solid form. Opening with an old B&W reel of girls on the verge of spontaneous CoachClearanceOutlet combustion as the Beatles touch ground for a concert in the British Isles, followed by a hip rendition of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ – and a program listing looks named “Queen Coach Clearance Handbags of the Mod”, “Camden Calling” and “Portobello Road” – it was clear we were in store for a trip through the past half century of British fashion.
The set up proved the perfect arc for Johnson to show her own CoachClearancePurses progression through the years. It was all mainly anchored by Johnson’s high pomp and love for all things saturated and vibrant, but there were items here that could coax the non-typical Betsey Johnson customer her way – that opening sleek black duster, or a tweed fur-trimmed belted coat, for example. Only the most adventurous devotee could, or would, try on that purple bodysuit with contrasting tiger print, CoachClearance but judging by the droves of kook and quirk filling the seats at her shows season after season, there’s likely no lack of those adventurous types for Johnson to be worrying about.
