The Ulla Johnson of It All
When I tell you that it was absolutely kismet that Robyn Rihanna Fenty, The First of Her Name, Queen of the Bops, Protector of My Edges, Muva of Being Unapologetically Black, and the Khalessi of Barbados and Beyond, revealed her baby bump on national television during Super Bowl LVII the SAME DAY that I, Phoebe Lynn Robinson, concealed my baby bump in Ulla Johnson’s fashionable yet comfortable black Polline dress at the designer’s New York Fashion Week show, I’m not exaggerating.
Okay, fine! Rihanna is carrying a growing human inside of her. Meanwhile, I was carrying a food baby comprised of an overpriced, carb-heavy breakfast that left me gassy and most likely (1,000 percent definitely) had me crop-dusting the fashion elite as I was leaving Hudson Yards with basically my reparations during Black History Month. So, thanks, Martin Luther King Jr., for all you have done. It was worth it! ANYWAY, the point is, Rihanna and I are practically the same. Let me have this! You know what else I want to have? Literally one of everything made by the eponymous shero designer of the day: Ulla Johnson.
Ulla Johnson at her fall/winter 2023 show.
First, let’s set the scene. While it is not my first time sitting front row at a fashion show, it was my first time sitting front row where nothing felt labored. Maybe that had something to do with the venue, The Spiral, but I think it’s just that Johnson embodies the phrase “like attracts like.” The cool was effortless. The unique feminine energy was palpable. Joy was in the air. As someone who has worn Johnson’s clothes a lot over the years, I’m well-versed in the fact that her designs are celebratory. She can give us an aspirational yet grounded blueprint of what a woman can be: chic and eye-catching, with a kind of self-assuredness that can only come when the confidence is within and radiates out. To be immersed in that atmosphere on a buzzy Sunday morning is a great feeling. To be sitting near Katie Holmes, Lily Allen, and Karla Welch—a triptych of delightfulness—was a treat. But the best part was Johnson’s phenomenal show.
Satin tulip skirts.
We all know her penchant for a delicious pattern or an expertly executed puff sleeve, so I love how Johnson honored her signatures while showing her range. We knew we were in for something special when Black Belt Eagle Scout emerged as regal badasses and set the tone of the show with powerful rock music. There was a steady stream of fantastic separates (the satin tulip skirts with tastefully done slits are a personal favorite), billowing full-length dresses, crochet knit slips, and must-have suede fringe kitten heel slingbacks. Vibrant colors popped up in pieces such as the emerald one-shoulder brocade dress or the marigold pleated satin skirt. Well-defined waists in belted jackets and playful full-length puffer coats were great touches.
No matter the outfit, Johnson made sure there was plenty of visual intrigue without being overwhelming. Are you gonna get a ruffled button shirt? Um, duh! Will you be served a full lewk of mixed prints and patterns? Hell yeah, so eat it up! Are there also going to be models in an array of skin tone and sizes? Hallelujah! And I wasn’t the only one loving it. Again, the folks at the show were cool, so it was less, “Yas queen!” and more sassy smirks that translate to “Ulla Johnson is about to get all my coins.” And she deserves it! The clothes are made with love and the show was full of it.
A model walks the runway.
Honestly, I didn’t want the show to be over. It was so wonderful to be in the presence of such artistry. But alas, like all wonderful things, it had to come to an end. And when I stood upon the richly patterned carpet and soaked in my final moments of what I had just witnessed, I put on Johnson’s Adira shearling coat, and Katie Holmes sweetly asked, “Excuse me, is this your phone?” knowing there are fewer scary modern-day technological nightmares than losing one’s phone out in the concrete jungle. Holmes had my Ulla Johnson-covered back. I can’t think of a better front row experience.
Actor-comedian-producer Phoebe Robinson is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO limited series 2 Dope Queens. She’s also a New York Times best-selling author of the books You Can’t Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain and Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay. Phoebe has starred in the movies Ibiza and What Men Want, and was moderator on Michelle Obama’s international Becoming book tour. Most recently, Phoebe launched Tiny Reparations, a production company under ABC Signature, whose first project was a talk show entitled Doing the Most with Phoebe Robinson that premiered April 2021on Comedy Central. Her first one-hour stand up special will premiere in Fall 2021 on HBO Max. Her next book, Please Don’t Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes, will be the first essay collection debuting on her newly formed literary imprint, Tiny Reparations Books, on Sept. 28, 2021.