Ulla Johnson

Ulla Johnson

Ulla Johnson grew up in Manhattan as the daughter of two archaeologists and launched her eponymous label in New York at the end of the 1990s, right after studying psychology and women's studies rather than fashion at the University of Michigan. Barneys New York bought her collection in 2000, and the label has since built its identity on natural fibers and craft techniques developed with artisan communities in countries including Peru, India and Kenya.

Dresses

Dresses are the clearest expression of Johnson's print-and-craft instincts, developed over childhood travel with archaeologist parents rather than a fashion education. The volume and prints owe something to that early exposure to textiles collected on digs and family trips.

Tops and shirting

Smaller-scale pieces built on the same commitment to natural fiber and finishing that Johnson has kept since starting the line with five tailored separates and a self-funded five thousand dollars. Even the simpler shapes carry visible handwork.

Skirts

Skirts round out the label's easy, artisan-informed silhouette, less about a single defining cut than a consistent approach to fabric and print. It is a category that benefits from the brand's longstanding relationships with embroiderers and weavers abroad.

Trousers and shorts

The most practical part of the assortment, still filtered through the same craft-first lens. Johnson has said the goal from the start was ease of fit and form, and that principle holds even in the more tailored pieces.

Jackets and blazers

Outerwear is a newer expansion for a label that began as separates and dresses, but it follows the same values: natural materials, visible construction, nothing overworked. It reflects how far the brand has grown since Barneys first picked it up in 2000.

More from the collection

The rest of the current edit, spanning the shoes, bags and jewelry the label has added over the past decade without abandoning the original focus on textile and craft. Johnson has kept the company independent and self-owned through all of it.

Our honest take

This is a label that grew slowly and stayed in New York on purpose, which is unusual when so many contemporaries chased Paris or Milan, and the collections still read as personal rather than trend-chasing. That patience seems to be exactly why it has lasted this long.