Paris Hilton and Betsey Johnson Just Made Our Y2K Fashion Dreams Come True
By Alexus Mosley
Photo Credit: Zoey Grossman
Some fashion collaborations make us wonder how they didn’t happen sooner, and this is certainly one of them. Betsey Johnson and Paris Hilton have officially joined forces for Betsey Johnson by Paris Hilton, a new collection that combines Johnson’s famously playful fashion universe with one of Y2K’s most recognizable style icons.
It feels inevitable, given that Hilton has been part of the Betsey Johnson universe for decades. From attending the designer’s runway shows and wearing her famously over-the-top creations, to Johnson even naming dresses after the heiress in the past. Now, the longtime fashion love affair has finally resulted in a collection of its own.
Drawing from Betsey Johnson’s runway history and archives, the collection reimagines recognizable silhouettes through Hilton’s distinctly glamorous point of view. For Johnson, the partnership is rooted in something both women have built their respective careers around: refusing to tone things down. “Paris has always been my girl,” Johnson said in announcing the collaboration. “I’ve been inspired by her for years—I even named dresses after her! We both believe in doing the most,” she added. “Honestly, why do anything less?”
Photo Credit: Zoey Grossman
It’s difficult to imagine a more appropriate philosophy for a collaboration between Betsey Johnson and Paris Hilton.
For Hilton, the collection brings a relationship with the designer that stretches back to her days as one of the most photographed women of the early 2000s full circle. “I’ve loved Betsey forever—from going to her runway shows to wearing her iconic designs,” Hilton said. “She’s always been one of my favorite designers, so creating Betsey Johnson by Paris Hilton is such a full-circle moment.”
Hilton also stars in the collection’s campaign, making the collaboration feel like something of a reunion between two women whose aesthetics helped define different corners of fashion’s unapologetically feminine, maximalist side.
And the timing couldn’t be better. As fashion continues mining the late ’90s and 2000s for inspiration, Hilton’s particular brand of Y2K glamour has found an entirely new generation of admirers. Meanwhile, Betsey Johnson’s bows, prints, party dresses and more-is-more approach feel especially refreshing after years of fashion’s obsession with quiet luxury. Perhaps loud luxury was simply waiting for its comeback.
Photo Credit: Zoey Grossman
The collaboration also has a charitable component. For every item purchased from the collection through Betsey Johnson’s website, the brand says it will donate $1 to the Elton John AIDS Foundation through its partnership with ShoppingGives.
For two women who have never exactly subscribed to the philosophy of less is more, Betsey Johnson by Paris Hilton feels appropriately excessive, nostalgic, and fun. Or, as Betsey herself put it: Why do anything less?