Ulla Johnson is a Manhattan-born designer who first launched her line of clothing in 1998. Her aesthetic, which is inspired by places she has visited across the globe and the high-fashion streets of New York, has dramatically taken the world by storm.
Most of her clients find delight in the excellent construction and seamless combination of fit and form in Johnson’s designs. One of the first and most dramatic turning points of her career took place when she earned the support of Barneys New York.
From there, she continued to gain a massive nod from the fashion community thanks to her distinctively refined craftsmanship and tailoring. Aside from her hometown’s support, Johnson’s network of supporters now includes retailers based in Asia, Australia and Europe.
What sets Ulla Johnson’s designs apart from those of other designers?
The first thing that people instantly notice about Ulla Johnson designs is the dreamy bohemian vibe that it gives off. Her elaborate embroidery technique and customized prints, paired with her polished tailoring skills, transforms her sketches into a concrete demonstration of ready-to-wear art. She started designing shoes first and then gradually expanded her collection into a more diverse array of blouses, dresses, jumpsuits, everyday streetwear, swimsuits, handbags, and accessories. Another unique factor that contributes to the effortlessly elegant vibe of Johnson’s clothing line is the intricate handwork done by Indian and Peruvian artists.
From 2014 up to the present, Johnson has continuously been designing clothes for spring, pre-fall and fall collections. She also began crafting her Resort collection back in 2016.
On September 8, 2019, her spring 2020 ready-to-wear collection was featured on Vogue magazine’s website. The said feature took place after Johnson showcased her designs during New York fashion week.
From humble beginnings to a steadily growing clientele
In an interview with an online fashion news magazine, Fashionista, Johnson revealed that during her early years, she was able to grow her business through self-funding organically. She had a clear-cut vision of what she wanted for her designs, something that she wanted to preserve as her business continued to reach a broader demographic of sponsors and customers. She added that she wanted her designs to maintain their unique quality in all the aspects involved in honing her brand — and that also included shelling out the necessary funds for building new collections in the future.
The Manhattan-based designer launched her second boutique in Amagansett, New York. Her first boutique is located at Bleecker Street in Manhattan. She has also put up an e-commerce site for her clothing line, leaving both the competitors and followers of her brand even more impressed. After all, putting up a single shop and maintaining it is challenging already; opening a second one while keeping an online store abuzz with old and new customers can be considered as the cherry on top of a thriving fashion career.
Ulla Johnson has dressed big stars, the likes of which include Jennifer Lawrence, Alicia Vikander, Sienna Miller and Gwyneth Paltrow. Presently, she has crafted a new lineup of clothes for her spring 2020 and resort 2020 collections. She is also eyeing a more diverse array of categories where she can showcase more of her design aesthetics and skills.
Ulla Johnson is the perfect example of being true to one’s unique aesthetic and letting one’s designs speak for themselves. Raw talent and real inspiration will undoubtedly get noticed in time, but believing in one’s craft and carefully taking things one step at a time also go a long way.
