COOKIE JOHNSON
Founder, Cj by Cookie Johnson

It's no small irony that Cookie Johnson hails from "Rocket City" – a town at the foot of a mountain in Alabama known for Space Camp, NASA and scientists who test out big ideas. Her own big idea, Cj by Cookie Johnson (premium denim for women with curves) was tested at Nordstrom and caused such a stir – selling out -- that it has since expanded nationwide.

A businesswoman at heart, Johnson came out of 'retirement' -- from being a full-time mom -- to pursue this endeavor. "I wanted to let women know that no matter their shape, they can look and feel good in premium denim," she says. The 'women' she refers to are women who have typically avoided jeans because their curves didn't fit well into the trendy, high-end denim, cut for waifish figures.

"This was my story, too" adds Johnson, who works out daily, eats healthy, but isn't a size two. "I couldn't find jeans to fit my body. It frustrated me to try on every pair of jeans in the store and leave with nothing." She realized that her testimony was that of many women. "I knew there was a hole in the market, it couldn't just be me. Designers were excluding this demographic." One meeting with Johnson's current business partner Michael Glasser (founder of Seven, Citizens and Rich & Skinny) and Cj was born.

But Johnson's journey into fashion was circuitous. When Ford Motor Company hired Cookie's father, it was an event that took their family from Alabama to Michigan and would secure them a comfortable, middle class lifestyle. "It was a scary move for a small-town, Southern family," says Johnson. "We had always been surrounded by relatives – and now we were headed to a fast-paced, intimidating city."

At 14, the tall, lanky Johnson decided she wanted to model. Her mother quickly enrolled her in Barbizon – where Johnson recalls she "was too klutzy to walk a runway. Modeling wasn't for me." However, the classes on manners, posture, makeup, fashion and hygiene weren't a lost cause - they created a poise in Johnson she radiates to this day. Johnson's high school had an unusual trade program, which allowed her to enroll specifically in Tailoring and Sewing as her course of study. "I was skinny and tall, so pants and sleeves were always too short," she recalls, "so I used to make my own clothes." After graduation, her eyes were on a career in fashion.

Johnson headed to Michigan State University, one of the only universities at the time that had a well-known retail program, where she pursued a degree in Retailing of Clothing and Textiles. "At that time there were good opportunities for women in business," she says. "Department stores were thriving." Her first job was at a major department store in Ohio where she worked her way up to becoming a buyer. "I was in my element," she says. "It was a thrill to fly to New York every season, to have appointments all day long, to select the clothes that would grace my department, and finally to see the end result on a happy customer."

After seven years, Johnson moved to Los Angeles to work for a junior sportswear company – this time working with sales reps, which gave her a 360-degree view of the industry. Later, she worked for a buying office in the LA Mart where she was charged with scouting and evaluating new lines. After her marriage to Earvin "Magic" Johnson she made the decision to become a full-time mom to their children. In addition to devoting time to her family, Johnson has always continued her work for the Magic Johnson Foundation where she empowers and educates women as a devoted philanthropist, children's advocate and spokesperson for women's health.

Johnson's feelings about the industry today are on point. "I think fashion is finally recuperating," she says. "It used to be way out there. People would wear a style or trend come hell or high water -- whether it flattered them or not. Fashion is embracing comfort now. It is my hope that designers will develop an awareness and appreciation of the true female form – and design for all women: the 17-year-old athlete, the 33-year-old mother of two, the 46-year-old business woman and the 61-year-old active grandmother. These women are stylish!" says Johnson emphatically. "But if they have curves, their only options have been in mass market lines. The situation needs to be remedied."

Enter Cj by Cookie Johnson: the latest rocket launched by a little girl from Huntsville.