Out of all the shows we’ve gone to during this longer-than-a-week Fashion extravaganza, Betsey Johnson‘s was by far the most fun. Does that come as a shocker to anyone? The 65-year-old knows how to give her legion of fans–who run the gauntlet from punk-rock 15-year-olds to Russell Simmons–what they want, and we’re not just talking about her infamous cartwheel/splits routine that she’s become infamous for.
A half hour after the show was supposed to begin in Lincoln Center, interns with black headsets began to look the other way as people grabbed closer seats in the giant theater to get a better glance at Ms. Johnson’s fall line. We were able to snag fourth row, along with a French photographer and a Japanese man with a camera who asked us what The New York Observer was approximately six times over the course of the 15 minute show. In between the Beatles soundtrack and the screaming ladies (“We love you Betsey!”), we managed to make out a couple of front row chatter. But the real lavishing began at the after party, held at the Stone Rose Lounge on the top of the Time Warner Center, where Ms. Johnson was joined by Kris Humphries (“How do you spell Kardashian?” The New York Observer heard one guest ask her friend,) Richie Rich, and Dani Stahl in celebrating another great season.