ULLA JOHNSON
When fashion calls for ultra-femininity, Ulla Johnson answers. Ulla Johnson is the go-to designer for happy staple pieces imbued with a sensible modern femininity. Ulla Johnson’s timeless and very wearable pieces have garnered her a devoted following. The ability of Ulla Johnson to turn her label into both a cult favorite among fashion insiders and a commercial success is a feat most designers only dream of.
Ulla Johnson debuted her namesake fashion line more than two decades ago, shaping the “urban bohemian” look her line had become known for long before that term entered the fashion vernacular. She pairs ethereal flowy prints with dreamy silhouettes, creating looks that are simultaneously rustic and refined. Ulla Johnson’s signature look is sort-of Brooklyn meets Joshua Tree.
At Ulla Johnson, collections are thoughtfully crafted and ready to wear.
The Ulla Johnson Story
Ulla Johnson grew up in Manhattan with archaeology professors as parents. Ulla Johnson grew up in academia but developed an interest in fashion as a child, always loving to dress up.
Ulla Johnson’s signature style evolved with influences between the streets of New York and her family’s travels to far-away destinations. Ulla Johnson founded her clothing line in 1998, just after college graduation, and immediately caught the eye of the fashion world. Ulla Johnson fell into fashion a bit unexpectedly after graduating from college with majors in women’s studies and psychology, but then she was able to stock some pieces in the boutiques of some friends in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Barneys picked up Ulla Johnson’s line soon after.
Ulla Johnson began with a handful of directional boutiques and this early endorsement from Barneys New York. From there, Ulla Johnson’s collection has gained a following of dedicated ladies and the support of retailers across the continents of North America, Australia, Europe, and Asia.
The steadfast attention of Ulla Johnson to the details of construction that she has become known for has never wavered. Ulla Johnson bases each collection on a foundation of natural fibers, beautiful finishing, and ease of form and fit.
Ulla Johnson currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three children.
Ulla Johnson Inspiration
Ulla Johnson, like a lot of designers and other kinds of artists, gets a great deal of inspiration by visiting places different from any she’s visited before. A quick trip to Marrakech, a grand city within Morocco that has inspired artists from Yves Saint Laurent to the Beatles with its rich tradition of artistry and unique aesthetic, brought Ulla Johnson new perspectives on color, texture, and pattern through the light and tilework designs.
In fact, most Ulla Johnson collections begin with a trip somewhere. Morocco, Japan – many places in the world carry ancient traditions of printing and weaving techniques. Drawing from this inspiration, Ulla Johnson is dedicated to her work as a designer, and strives to create pieces that make the wearer feel a certain way.
Ulla Johnson Vision
Empowering women through fashion lies at the heart of Ulla Johnson’s work. She applies a fashion lens to her background in psychology. The result is a fearless approach to color and print in Ulla Johnson’s designs along with a steady focus on redefining this time-honored craft. Ulla Johnson’s collections are joyful and truly a contemporary celebration of femininity. Ulla Johnson recognizes the fear people have around trying something new, but Ulla Johnson encourages people to feel a bit more liberated to explore and follow their dreams. Ulla Johnson’s fashion line speaks to this ethic.
Ulla Johnson likes to reinvent herself every day with fashion choices that exude different personalities. This daily reinvention is the magic of fashion for the Ulla Johnson brand. The ability to play with clothing as if it were costume pieces is a favorite approach of Ulla Johnson to her style of dress.
The designs Ulla Johnson creates are intended to make women feel beautiful and powerful, while at the same time carrying an element of fantasy. Ulla Johnson finds that mixing volume, colors, and prints, as opposed to the all-black uniform of many cities, brings an element of friendliness and compliments to social interactions. Ulla Johnson contends that through fashion, strangers can create a wonderful dialogue.
Ulla Johnson in Magazines
Ulla Johnson’s fashionable pieces have been seen across a wide spectrum of news and magazine outlets, including plenty of coverage in various international versions of Vogue over the years, WSJ Magazine, Icons, and The New York Times Style Magazine in the fashion world. Ulla Johnson has also been featured in non-fashion magazines such as Architectural Digest and Condé Nast.
Ulla Johnson at Prefontaine Shop
Prefontaine Shop carries an assortment of Ulla Johnson pieces. We’ve got a few flouncy dresses with ultra-feminine frills, and a few pieces that add just the right dash of femininity to some boxier cuts. Whatever degree of femininity you’re looking to add to your closet, the Prefontaine Shop can deliver the right Ulla Johnson piece to you.