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Ulla Johnson

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Ulla Johnson
Ulla Johnson in 2022
Born
Manhattan, New York, United States
Alma materUniversity of Michigan
Occupation(s)fashion designer, brand owner
Known forUlla Johnson luxury women's fashion brand
Websitehttps://ullajohnson.com/

Ulla Johnson is an American designer and owner of the eponymous clothing brand.[1]

Ulla Johnson x Garrett Leight Eyewear collaboration, Spring 2018

Early life and education

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Her mother is Serbian and her father Danish; they are both archaeologists who met on a dig in Yugoslavia. Johnson was born and raised in Yorkville, Manhattan,[2] and attended Bronx Science. At the University of Michigan she obtained dual degrees in psychology and women's studies.[3] As a child she moved around so much with her archaeologist parents, including digs in Iran and Germany, that she described herself a global nomad.[4] Her mother collected local textiles and jewelry, which started a life-long interest in traditional crafts.[5]

Career

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Johnson started the brand in 1999 in Manhattan, New York, immediately after her graduation.[6][7] Johnson founded her line with five tailored separates and a self-funded $5000.[5] Her first big break was in 2000 when Barney's bought her collection,[2] leading to a long association; Barney's threw a party to honor her in 2016.[8][9] In 2014, the brand held its first seasonal presentation during New York Fashion Week.[10] In February 2017, the format changed to runway shows. She has shown in iconic New York cultural institutions including Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, Lincoln Center, the New York Public Library, and the Brooklyn Museum’s Beaux-Arts Court.[11][12]

In 2017, Johnson opened her first boutique in New York City.[13] In 2019, the second New York store, Ulla Johnson Amagansett, was opened.[14][15][16]

The Ulla Johnson aesthetic has been described as free spirited, transportive and feminine. It caters to an urbanized bohemian bourgeois clientele.[17][18] Ulla Johnson collections are stocked globally in many of the world's most prestigious retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Le Bon Marche, among others.[citation needed]

Johnson has invested in her supply chain, working with artisans and craftspeople from Peru, Kenya, India, Uruguay, the Philippines and Africa. Johnson feels that this approach is not only about authenticity and beauty but also about economic empowerment for often female led rural communities.[19]

In 2018, Johnson collaborated with Los Angeles-based designer Garrett Leight on an eyewear collection.[20]

In 2019, Johnson collaborated with Bobbi Brown, a collection which sold out. A second collection launched in 2021.[21][22]

In 2019, Johnson partnered with landscape architect Miranda Brooks on a planting scheme to front Johnsons store in Amagansett. Miranda also created the gardens of Johnsons homes in Brooklyn and Montauk.[23][24]

In 2020, Johnson joined forces with architect Rafael de Cárdenas to design and build the 2100 sq ft showroom of her brand in New York. It is located on Lafayette Street, near her SoHo studio.[25][26]

In February 2021, Johnson announced the launch of premium denim, part of its Fall 22 collection. Handcrafted in Los Angeles, using sustainable practices.[27]

Johnson's philanthropic work is focused in its support of women's advocacy, social justice, the preservation of craft, and environmental conservation.[28][29][16]

Personal

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Ulla Johnson lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three children. She works at her company's headquarters in SoHo.[30]

References

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  1. ^ "37 DC-Area Stores You Can (Also!) Shop Online for Small Business Saturday - Washingtonian". 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  2. ^ a b "Why a fashion label adored by Greta Gerwig and Jennifer Lawrence created a new supply chain from scratch".
  3. ^ "Ulla Johnson's Designs Will Fulfill Your Wanderlust Dreams". ELLE. 2017-11-19. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  4. ^ "Designer Ulla Johnson brings bohemian elegance to New York Fashion Week". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  5. ^ a b Talbot, Lindsay (2020-02-12). "A Designer Who Wants to Make Your Future Heirlooms". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  6. ^ "Quelles sont les tendances maillot de bain de l'été selon cette créatrice américaine ?". Vogue France (in French). 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  7. ^ OKWODU, JANELLE (2018-07-24). "How Ulla Johnson Merges Fashion and Fantasy—On and Off the Runway". Vogue.
  8. ^ W. W. D. Staff (2016-04-15). "Barneys New York Honors Ulla Johnson". WWD. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  9. ^ Harris, Taylor (2016-04-15). "Barneys New York Honors Ulla Johnson". WWD. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  10. ^ Cusumano, Katherine (2020-09-16). "Why a Designer Held a Fashion Show on a Small New York City Island". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  11. ^ "Ulla Johnson News, Collections, Fashion Shows, Fashion Week Reviews, and More". Vogue. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  12. ^ "Ulla Johnson Spring 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2022-09-11. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  13. ^ "Ulla Johnson's New Bleecker Street Shop Is Just as Beautiful as You'd Expect". Vogue. 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  14. ^ "Ulla Johnson". The Shopkeepers. 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  15. ^ "Ulla Johnson Celebrates Her New Hamptons Store With a Dockside Dinner Party". Vogue. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  16. ^ a b Neilson, Laura (2019-05-29). "Inside Ulla Johnson's New Hamptons Outpost". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  17. ^ Thomas, Ellen (2017-02-10). "Backstage Beauty at Ulla Johnson Fall 2017". WWD. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  18. ^ "Ulla Johnson and Bergdorf Goodman Gathered Aesthetes for a Weekend in East Hampton". Vogue. 2022-08-20. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  19. ^ "Why a fashion label adored by Greta Gerwig and Jennifer Lawrence created a new supply chain from scratch". Fast Company. 2021-03-31.
  20. ^ Scharf, Lindzi (2018-04-06). "Mandy Moore, January Jones and more turn out to toast Garrett Leight X Ulla Johnson eyewear collaboration". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  21. ^ "Ulla Johnson's New Bobbi Brown Collection Is the Only Makeup You'll Need This Spring". Vogue. 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  22. ^ "The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week". The New York Times. 2021-08-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  23. ^ "Me and my constant gardener". Financial Times. 2022-02-11. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  24. ^ "Inside Fashion Designer Ulla Johnson's Bohemian Brownstone". Architectural Digest. 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  25. ^ "Rafael de Cárdenas Creates an Ultra-Chic Manhattan Showroom for Ulla Johnson". Galerie. 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  26. ^ "Look Inside Ulla Johnson's Manhattan Showroom, Designed by Rafael de Cárdenas". Architectural Digest. 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  27. ^ Moore, Booth (2022-02-11). "EXCLUSIVE: Ulla Johnson Launching Denim Collection". WWD. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  28. ^ O'Connor, Clare. "Meet The 40+ Designers Supporting Planned Parenthood At New York Fashion Week". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  29. ^ Feitelberg, Rosemary (2019-06-18). "Women of NoHo Organize Event to Support Planned Parenthood". WWD. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  30. ^ Felder, Rachel (2020-01-31). "How Ulla Johnson, Fashion Designer, Spends Her Sundays". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
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