“We make your dreams come true!”
It’s a phrase those who live in the New York City area are all too familiar with—the wonderfully infamous closing to the commercial for Brooklyn wedding venue Grand Prospect Hall. (Do yourself a favor and watch it on YouTube.)
But even audience members not privy to the joke soon realized they were in for something matrimonial after Betsey Johnson blasted it over the loudspeakers at her Spring 2015 runway show. The designer’s latest collection was an ode to her growing bridal business. “It started out slow and then it turned into something major,” said Johnson, who starts her run as a Dancing With the Stars contestant on September 15. “People love my wedding shoes!”
Friends from all walks of life—including Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Camille Grammer, SoulCycle instructor Stacey Griffith, and Willam Belli from RuPaul’s Drag Race—marched the runway, which was filled with tiered cupcake dresses, tutus, and enough lingerie to fill a wedding trousseau. While the more jokey pieces got the crowd roaring—like a neoprene crop top encrusted with rhinestones that spelled out the day’s theme, “Prenup”—there were some wearable gems in there, including a polka-dot shirtdress in lavender chiffon, a white-sequined tux, and a teal-lamé bridesmaid’s dress. As for the actual wedding gowns? Johnson turned out plenty of pretty options, including an ankle-length number in textured silk with a full skirt and giant pearl buttons running up the back. The showstopper, though, was the big white finale gown, worn by Sharon Needles (another RuPaul’s Drag Race favorite), who threw her bouquet to a blushing audience member before carrying Johnson down the aisle and giving her a big kiss. Indeed, the designer’s show-ending cartwheel was upstaged by wedded bliss.