Las Vegas Weekly

October 26, 2009 · 2:31 PM

Photo Gallery: Betsey Johnson loves, Eddie Van Halen believes in Cirque

By Robin Leach

Betsey Johnson does the splits backstage at Love by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage.

Photo: Ana Dobrijevic

Fashion designer Betsey Johnson had her own night of high style when the fashionista watched The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage. Accompanied by two friends, the original wild child of the design world was easily spotted with her signature platinum blonde hair, red lipstick and fashion-forward ensemble, with included a diamond-encrusted “B” necklace.

Betsey enjoyed a glass of champagne during the show and stood in the aisle throughout the performance dancing and singing along to her favorite Fab Four songs. After the show, Betsey headed backstage for photos and to hang out with the cast. She even showed off some moves from her early dance career and told the cast that the show inspired her for her next collection and fashion show!

Before leaving the theater, the design icon stopped inside the Love wardrobe department, where she mingled with the crew. She complimented them on the costumes and was given a fistful of fabrics from the costume shop to use while creating her next designs.

While Betsey was in town for the AARP convention at the Sands Convention Center in The Venetian, she also had a meet-and-greet appearance at her store in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile. She still proved that she can do her trademark cartwheels and splits! After being part of the Andy Warhol crowd of underground artists in the late 1960s, Betsy won a Coty Award in 1972 and today has 45 stores worldwide.

Our contributing photographer Erik Kabik was on hand for her rare Las Vegas appearance and captured the zany effervescence of this much admired fashion icon.

Photo: Tom Rutan

Criss Angel with Eddie Van Halen.

Eddie Van Halen @Believe

At the opposite end of the Strip, legendary rocker Eddie Van Halen was spotted at another Cirque du Soleil spectacular, Mindfreak magician Criss Angel’s Believe at the Luxor. Eddie enjoyed the show so much that afterward, he went backstage and hung out with Criss in his private dressing room. The two posed for this photograph by Tom Rutan.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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