Talking with Betsey Johnson from Z to New York...

New Year's was over and I was returning from a friend's villa in Z.

Everyone had boarded the plane departing from the Zihuatanejo Airport, or so I thought, when “something” came spinning up the stairs just as the forward door was being closed (there are no air-bridges at this airport). This “something” hurled some sort of plastic gold suitcase which appeared to have been attacked by a Bedazzler and dipped in glitter into the cabin. As I flinched from the trajectory of sequins, glitter and rhinestones, I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be blonde locks?

In usual circumstances, I would have panicked and grabbed someone’s child to throw at the oncoming assault. But I was in Mexico, and the two glasses of tequila I drank before embarking helped to slow my usually manic thought process so that I could more easily digest my situation. I had narrowed this situation down to only two possibilities: The Tasmanian Devil had retired to Mexico and was being called back to Warner Brothers for a new Bugs Bunny feature, OR the Chupacabra was making a daytime attack on a commercial aircraft.

Neither scenario proved correct: Betsey Johnson had just boarded the plane plopping down right next to me.

Betsy and I had met before briefly in Sag Harbor. Once she had buckled in, and we each had a drink to settle our nerves, she started telling me about her homes outside of “Z” (that’s short for Zihuatanejo) after I told her that I was looking at possibly representing villa rentals in Z for Mr. Gatsby’s Travel Club.

She had built two homes and was now putting them on the market. She told me of her love affair with Mexico….the colors, the ocean, the people. So, I asked her why she is now selling both her places? She told me that as an artist, Mexico gave her inspiration, but as a grandmother she wanted to be closer to her grandchildren. She had remodeled a home in East Hampton and the two-hour car ride from New York made her Hamptons home an easy destination. She told me that East Hampton gives her a different sense of inspiration as an artist. The town and her home there give her a sense of serenity.

She also talked about the challenges of being both an entrepreneur and a designer while managing to date a much younger Italian and build homes. At 65, she still oversees her entire collection and co-manages more than eighty stores which are all corporate owned. I asked where she was currently deriving inspiration? She told me that 80s punk was back, and that she was currently taking inspiration from her own vintage pieces.

I asked her what other designers inspired her and she immediately declared “Donna Karan”. She loved what Donna had done in Sag Harbor with Urban Zen mixing home decor with amazing sweaters and accessories. She also loved what the store stood for: mixing cultures and inspiring change through fashion and design. Betsey and I also talked about Donna's daughter Gaby and what a wonderful job she had done with the restaurant Tutto Il Giorno adjacent to Urban Zen.

Though I was still cautious of her carry-on, Betsey bedazzled me. She had amazing energy, she was positive and she had designed a life that worked for her.