Betsey Johnson is an American fashion brand built around the work of designer Betsey Johnson (born 1942, Wethersfield, Connecticut). Johnson studied at Pratt Institute and Syracuse University, winning the Mademoiselle Guest Editor Contest in 1964. She began designing at the Paraphernalia boutique in 1965 during the youthquake era, became known for theatrical runway finales (cartwheels at the close of shows), and launched her own named line in 1978. The brand is now owned by Steve Madden.

The brand's aesthetic is defined by maximalism: bold florals, graphic novelty prints, embellishments, sequins, ruffles, and strong colour combinations. The Betsey Johnson identity reads against the minimalism dominant in contemporaneous New York fashion. Print and surface decoration are central rather than incidental to each collection.

Johnson's early career progressed from Paraphernalia (1965) through the Betsey Bunky Nini boutique (1969) and the Alley Cat label (1970s, generating approximately $5 million in its first year). She received a Coty Winnie Award in 1971. Her own label debuted in 1978 with a SoHo flagship opening in 1981. Johnson dressed Lisa Loeb for the music video for "Stay" (1994), which reached No. 1. The brand reached 65-plus stores globally at peak (2011). Chapter 11 bankruptcy was filed in April 2012; trading continued and a 40th anniversary collection was shown in September 2012, with Cyndi Lauper performing. Johnson received the CFDA Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and the National Arts Club Medal of Honor in 2009. Works are held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

• Clothing: womenswear (dresses, jumpsuits, tops, bottoms, coats, jackets, activewear)
• Shoes, bags, and accessories
• Jewellery and eyewear
• Swimwear and kidswear
• Handbags and accessories expanded from 2003

The brand is owned by Steve Madden. It operates through betseyjohnson.com and wholesale accounts. Prior to the 2012 bankruptcy, 65-plus standalone stores operated globally. Current retail is online-led with wholesale distribution.

The Betsey Johnson brand occupies the playful-maximalist segment of American womenswear. Its commercial territory is colourful, embellished, print-driven apparel and accessories at mid-market price points. Brand identity is strongly tied to its founder's personality and the youthquake aesthetic it helped define.

Betsey Johnson's brand identity is rooted in print, embellishment, and surface decoration applied across all product categories. The label's design formula involves bold colour, oversized floral, graphic, and novelty prints, embellishments (sequins, rhinestones, appliqué), and pattern layering across garment surfaces. The designer described her approach as "Take a leotard and add a skirt," but the pattern vocabulary is the defining commercial signal: maximalist, anti-minimalist, and immediately readable across womenswear, shoes, and accessories.

The brand's application of print extends to product packaging and accessories, where the same colourful graphic vocabulary is applied consistently.