party lines

โ€˜When you get older, your life shows on your face.โ€™

Betsey Johnson has never been one to hold back, whether itโ€™s a McQueen tribute, neon-pink anything, or her battle โ€” nay, full-on assault โ€” against breast cancer. So naturally, she rode a large pink bicycle to her cupcake-laden, open-bar 68th-birthday bash last night (the fuchsia invitations were titled โ€œAinโ€™t It Great To Be 68!?โ€) while her design team trailed close behind in a bubble-gum-pink Mini Cooper stretch limousine. Inside her Soho store, the designer held court in the corner of the room, yelling hoarsely over the music, clutching her cocktail, and shrugging matter-of-factly when the occasional balloon exploded loudly next to her ponytail. โ€œWooo! When they hit the lightbulbs, they burst,โ€ she rasped, touching our shoulder with what almost felt like maternal reassurance.

But getting down to business: How exactly does Betsey manage to keep kickinโ€™ it at her age? Itโ€™s all part of a long-term plan. โ€œWhen you get older, your life shows on your face,โ€ she warned. โ€œI knew that when I was little, so I always tried to have a good life so that I could look good at 68!โ€ Tina Turner also gets some credit: โ€œWhen I was younger, I was always just crazy about Tina Turner. I thought, โ€˜Thatโ€™s the kind of woman I want to be when I grow up.โ€™ You know, gorgeous and strong and still performing no matter how old. So I try to be a good old model for young kids.โ€ Do people ever ask her offensive questions about being over the hill? โ€œNo. Iโ€™ve always loved being out there and up-front about my age, and my surgeries,โ€ she said, pointing to her face. (We hadnโ€™t even asked about plastic surgery yet, so this was a bonus.)

But since she brought it up: With girls getting Botoxed in their tender early twenties these days, how young is too young, in Betseyโ€™s opinion? โ€œI donโ€™t know if we can stop that machine,โ€ she said, shrugging. โ€œI heard on television the other day that theyโ€™re hitting puberty at 7 or 8? I mean, I donโ€™t know. But itโ€™s a free country, itโ€™s a free life, do what you want. But get a good doctor! For crying out loud, pay the money to have a good doctor!โ€ Spoken like a true child of the youthquake.

โ€˜When you get older, your life shows on your face.โ€™