S8 Ep18 STEPH ERMER: a vintage Betsey Johnson collector - on nostalgia for the late 90s and early 2000s and her collection of iconic Y2K era vintage Betsey Johson dresses, 1999-2003.

Pre-Loved Podcast with Emily Stochl

Pre-Loved Podcast is a weekly vintage fashion interview show, with guests you’ll want to go thrifting with! For more Pre-Loved Podcast, subscribe to our Patreon!

On today’s show, we’re chatting with Steph Ermer, a South Florida girl obsessed with the aesthetics of the late 90s and early 2000s – the era she grew up in. About five years ago, Steph started recapturing that nostalgia by collecting Y2K era vintage Betsey Johson dresses, and she’s amassed a really fun collection of them today.

On today’s show, we’re chatting all things vintage Betsey Johnson, how this beloved brand has once again blown up on the vintage market, and the special stories behind Steph’s favorite Betsey pieces – this is a super fun one, so let’s dive right into it!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• [2:21] Nostalgia for 90s and Y2K shopping mall memories.
• [5:13] How Steph’s love of Betsey Johnson started as a teenager.
• [11:29] Betsey Johnson’s design history going back to the 1960s.
• [19:39] The magic of the Betsey Johnson stores.
• [23:50] The struggle to document and catalog Betsey Johnson’s design history.
• [26:27] The most coveted vintage Betsey Johnson dresses, and the impact of the brand’s vintage resurgence.
• [34:25] Steph’s favorite pieces in her collection

EPISODE MENTIONS:

• @stephermer
• Steph’s TikTok
• NYTimes Betsey Johnson history piece
• Spring 2000 runway show
• Fall 2000 runway show
• Spring 2001 runway show with the Playboy bunnies
• @betseyjohnsonpinklady
• Betsey: A Memoir
• The Betsey Johnson fruit dress
• Olivia wearing vintage Betsey Johnson
• Kirsten Dunst piece on Betsey Johnson
• Search and Destroy
• @tootsvintage
• Toots Vintage on Pre-Loved Podcast
• Macy Eleni
• @cierraoday
• Carlos Alonso-Parada

LET’S CONNECT:

• 📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
• 🐦Twitter: @emilymstochl
• 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
• 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/
• 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod

SPECIAL THANKS:

A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!

• Patty Weber
• Beverley Docherty of Wolfe Pack Vintage
• Danny of Galaxy Live
• Kathy Brand
• Lucero Buendia
• Tricia Zelazny
• Leslie V.
• Lisa of Queenie & Pearl
• Lucille of Galipette Vintage
• KT
• Lydia Welp
• Anastacia Banicke of Goods & Provisions
• Michael A.
• Megan Morris
• Jennifer