Angela Johnson

Angela is an award-winning, fashion designer, industry innovator, disruptor, humanitarian, sustainability expert, and consultant to hundreds of emerging fashion brands. She is best known as the Co-Founder of AZ’s fashion incubator FABRIC and for creating upcycled ball gowns from “thrifted” T-shirts under her eponymous fashion brand Angela Johnson Design. Angela’s 30 years of industry and entrepreneurial experiences from LA to AZ have fueled her mission to mentor the next generation of apparel entrepreneurs as well as her vision to champion a new, innovative, tech-based, responsible, and sustainable U.S. fashion industry for the 21st Century in the state of Arizona. Angela got her start in L.A. working in design and production for X-Large Manufacturing, the line owned by Mike Diamond of the Beastie Boys and X-Girl, the line owned by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. In the mid 1990’s she co-owned Monkeywench, a board sports inspired collection with Days of our Lives actress Christie Clark that was featured in Seventeen Magazine and worn by celebrities such as Tori Spelling on 90210, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christina Applegate and more. ACCOLADES President Biden and VP Harris visit FABRIC Business Woman of the Year – Tempe Chamber Business Community Impact Award (FABRIC) – Downtown Tempe Social Impact Award (FABRIC) – Downtown Tempe Iconic Business Nominee (FABRIC) – Downtown Tempe Environmental Impact Award Nominee (FABRIC) – Downtown Tempe Business Impact Award Nominee (FABRIC) – Downtown Tempe Outstanding Women in Business – Phoenix Business Journal Fast Lane Award (FABRIC) – AZ Bio Fashion Humanitarian – The Garment League Sustainability Award (FABRIC) – ASU President Michael Crowe Disability Award/Employee of the Year (FABRIC) – City of Tempe Mayor Athena Award Finalist – Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Voluntary Environmental Stewardship Program Award (FABRIC) – AZ Department of Environmental Quality Rising Star – Fashion Group International of Arizona Artist of the Year – Scottsdale Cultural Council’s Chairman’s Committee Best Local Fashion Designer – Arizona Foothills Chicest Local Designer – 944 Magazine BOOKS From Us For You by Diane Dresback Eco-Fashion by Sass Brown Phoenix: 21st Century City by Edward Booth-Clibborn Organico by Spoonlive MAGAZINES/NEWSPAPERS Entrepreneur Magazine, The Washington Post, cover of Frontdoors, Phoenix Magazine, In Business Magazine, The Hill, Phoenix Business Journal, AZ Redbook, Gloria Feldt Take the Lead, The Chic Mag, East Valley Tribune, Daily Candy, The Arizona Republic, Green Living, Elevate AZ, Voyage Phoenix, ASU Now, AZ Foothills, AZ Magazine, Urbanite Runway, Fashion Snob, Wrangler News, Phoenix New Times, Contact Magazine, Scottsdale CVB’s Guide, Phoenix CVB Website, Cover of New Times, AZ Sports and Lifestyle Magazine, Biz AZ, Switch Magazine, Java, Where Magazine, 944, Get Out Magazine, Scottsdale Republic, East Valley Tribune, Scottsdale Tribune, Biz AZ, Arizona Foothills, College Times, Tech AZ, Item, So Scottsdale, Lemonade, A2Z Magazine, Seventeen, Warp, Girl’s Life, Sportswear International, Vice, WWD, J-14, Electric Ink, Fresh and Tasty, Barracuda, cover of Fashion West, on the red carpet at the Emmy’s on Mary Beth York TV/VIDEO/PODCASTS – The Dish on Style Network, AZ Horizon on PBS, GoDaddy, YurAZ on Cox, Phoenix Business Radio, State Press, CW61, Fashionpreneur, Inspired Media 360, AZ Family, Maricopa Now TV, KJZZ, KTAR, Ch. 3 news, Ch. 5, Ch. 12 News and FOX News, Relentless Talk Radio, Cashak Magazine, Inside the Artist’s Mind on local cable, My Phoenix Dream Day for the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Website. CELEBRITY CLIENTELE Pam Anderson, Tommy Lee, Christina Applegate, Quentin Tarantino, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tori Spelling, Leann Rimes, Nicki Cox, Jeremy London, Lisa Rinna, Kevin Connelly, the entire cast of Days of Our Lives, all wore Angela’s Monkeywench collection in the 1990’s. GALLERY EXHIBITS Angela’s upcycled T-shirt designs have been on display at the Tempe Center for the Arts’ Gallery. as well as a Tempe Public Art window display. ARTIST’S STATEMENT The idea for giving vintage tees the Cinderella treatment happened quite by accident. I transplanted myself out of my mass-produced clothing line in LA and landed in an Arizona school teaching fashion classes. The “T-shirt Ballgown” was an evolution of a lesson I taught on repurposing and recycling objects into garments. When I found that I had created something that was eco-friendly, unique, comfortable, washable, versatile and fun, the entrepreneur in me immediately decided to act on the idea and start another clothing company. My business of “upcycling” T-shirts into new garments was born. Using 25 or more shirts to create one finished gown, I see each shirt as a piece of fabric, not as an existing garment. I manipulate a stretchy knit fabric into shapes and structures for which it was never engineered, incorporating highly tailored shaping details such as darts and boning. Sure, I could easily source knits in an endless rainbow of colors from any fabric wholesaler in the country, but the end result would have no meaning, no story and no power. There is beauty in the transformation from utilitarian tee to girlie confection; a resourceful frivolity. By Kelly Aaron for Angela Johnson