Hundreds of New Yorkers took the scenic drive to East Hampton last weekend, ready to thrift through boxes and racks of clothing for a good cause.
On Thursday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 10, interns and assistants for the designer set up tables, hung up tutus and placed dozens upon dozens of racks at the property located on Grape Arbor Lane. Thousands of dresses, shirts, tunics, jumpsuits, gowns and pants hung on the wobbly silver racks, completely covered in colorful sequins and fabrics.
Last month, Betsey Johnson was honored at ”A Hamptons Happening,” a benefit for the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. The sale at her home gave fans and fashionistas the opportunity to own unique BJ pieces and donate money at the same time to one of the leading cancer research institutes in the world.
“As a cancer survivor, Betsey wanted a portion of the sales to go to a charity working to find the cure,” said the designer’s assistant, Jeanine Festa.
“We estimated there were upwards of 15,000 garments, along with hundreds of pairs of shoes and various accessories,” she said. “We sold Victorian dresses, slips from the 30s and 40s, 1970s jumpsuits, show pieces and more samples and protos than anyone could fathom.”
Several workers for Johnson, adorned in their own Betsey gowns, tutus and tank tops, helped shoppers find their vintage dream outfits – some actually from the designers own closet – with happy customers leaving with garbage bags full of stuff.
“The ‘Betsey Babes’ as we call ourselves had such a great time talking to all the die hard Betsey fans, especially the mothers and daughters who came together and could bond on their love for the designers work from the 60s until today,” Festa added.
“Everyone was so excited about their finds and undoubtedly left in a better mood than they came,” she said. “That’s something that is very unique to Betsey Johnson. There’s no pompous, snooty heir to the brand – it’s fun, it’s welcoming and it makes you feel beautiful.”
“To be able to share that with the public was something I won’t soon forget.”
With hashtags like “#BetseysYard,” Instagram and Twitter users showed off their finds while others posted that they were disappointed because they were unable to attend.
Luckily for those who missed out, the sale has been extended to this upcoming weekend.
Starting on Friday, Aug. 15 until Sunday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. her property in East Hampton will again be fully stocked with shoes, accessories and of course, dresses, from every decade imaginable in hopes of funding more money to find the cure for cancer.
Image: Nancy Rivera/ACE/INFphoto.com