Betty Jackson (Q3883)
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Betty Jackson is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Betty Jackson |
Betty Jackson is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
1981
founder
shoe designer
Like almost everyone else in the civilized multiverse, Betty Jackson surrendered to the charms ofJust Kids, Patti Smith's memoir of her life with Robert Mapplethorpe. She was enraptured by the sense of abandonment, by the way anything could be picked up and used in their life and art. Throw a wool jumper over a chiffon skirt? Why ever not?There was a feel for that contrast in Jackson's Fall show, in combinations of fabric weight and texture, and—another obvious example—the purple nylon parka layered atop a long cardigan coat and trousers in a broken-diamond pattern.The designer has an ineffable instinct for clothes that manage to intrigueandflatter—you could see that here in a leather blazer that tied in a bow at the base of the spine—but today it went askew with odd proportions (mid-calf lengths, slightly dropped waists, slightly belled skirts, short sleeves) and fabrics that looked too heavy, particularly a plush alpaca-angora blend and a spongy bouclélike knit.By way of contrast to all that weight, a sheer floral handkerchief-hemmed dress and a black lace shift ought to have injected lightness, maybe even a sense of abandonment. It didn't happen. Jackson may, however, have unwittingly nailed an element of the Smith/Mapplethorpe saga to which Patti herself understandably gave short shrift. The red tones that dominated the collection—the red of a rose, the red of blood—were the colors of a man-eating Jezebel.
18 February 2011
The ardor Betty Jackson inspires in her customers is well known. You can only imagine the chord struck with those women when, speaking backstage after her show, the designer says something like, "This collection is about a new feeling of liberation; it doesn't matter what shape or size you are." In fact, though, the most generous silhouettes in this show were the trickiest, especially the smock tops with the flaring sleeves. It was when Jackson stuck closest to her inspiration—the so-called Land Army, who were called on to run England while their men went off to war in the forties—that she produced standout outfits. Like the opener, a skirt that flared to mid-calf, paired with a long jacket drawn in tightly at the waist with a skinny belt, both in a tree-bark-patterned jacquard. Or the chic black coat-dress with a fluff of marabou on each shoulder, worn over a long natural-toned skirt and finished off with platforms and socks. Both looks were significantly reflective of a far-off time.Going ba-a-a-ack to the past to find the future—it's already one of the season's big stories. The designer insisted she didn't want a vintage effect, though; for her, the inspiration was less about literal borrowing than capturing a feeling of optimism—the idea of a stylish, gutsy woman who won't let adversity get the better of her. "Someone like Diana Cooper," Jackson suggested. "[She'd] be out in the garden in her dress and jewels, digging up a lettuce for dinner." The jewels in this case—by CFDA/VogueFashion Fund award winner Alexis Bittar—were glittery, feathery Lucite bracelets, which could probably withstand a dig in God's good earth. The same notion of homespun strength extended into the ragged, textured cotton knits.
17 September 2010