Betsey Johnson will be the recipient of the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), according to Style.com. The list of nominees and selected members of the community to be bestowed with the awards this year was announced on Monday by Diane von Furstenberg, who is the current president of the fashion industry trade association along with Nadja Swarovski from the Swarovski Group. The awarding ceremony will be on June 1, 2015 at the Lincoln Center.
Johnson, who has been part of the fashion industry since the 1960s, exclaimed, "Oh, it's beyond, the beyond, the beyond, the beyond!" This statement was given by the designer moments following the announcement made by von Furstenberg.
"I didn't realize I wanted the award so much, but I did, and I do love getting it. I just realized over the last couple of weeks that I really did want to be acknowledged and supported by my friends, by my world of fashion. I've not been that up close and personal with everyone, but I respect everyone in my business that stays alive," Johnson shared during the event.
However, the fashion industry was not always kind to Johnson. It could be recalled that in 2012, the famous designer filed for bankruptcy due to financial struggles. For her part, the fashion expert, known for her bubbly personality and optimism, only commented that she never perceived the sacrifices as difficulties but ways to strengthen and improve her craft. "It ain't hard when you love it," Johnson remarked, referring to the tumultuous years she experienced.
"It's beautiful when you love it, and I still love it after 50 years. I still love it. I'm creative consultant for all my brands, so I kick them in the ass when they need to get a little more creative. It's great. It's just perfect. I've had a perfectly wonderful, happy life," the designer revealed.
Meanwhile, Johnson intends to bring her entire family along when she actually receives the award months from now. True to her exuberant personality, the designer even shared that she and her loved ones will go up the stage and do a cartwheel during the CFDA Awards ceremony. Hence, fans can expect that Johnson will be attending the event with her granddaughters and Lulu, her daughter.
