Ulla Johnson

The Editor’s guide to Ulla Johnson

What to buy first

Start with a cotton day dress. The poplin and eyelet pieces are the clearest expression of what the house does well, they travel, and they sit in the $720 to $970 range. From there the two directions are evening, where the silk gowns carry the hand-work and run to $9,660, and denim, which is a genuinely different proposition to the rest of the collection. Our twelve picks are in the best Ulla Johnson dresses.

The Los Angeles denim

Added in 2021 and handcrafted in Los Angeles, finished with a leather logo patch and a hand-hammered ring at the back belt loop. It is sold on the inch waist, 23 through 33, exactly as the designer cuts it, so it does not follow the UK ladder the rest of the collection uses. Rigid and stretch are both in the range, and for Fall 2026 the rigid Tigris and Umber washes come embellished with sequin embroidery.

The Frankenthaler collaboration

For Spring 2026 the house worked with the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation and put three of the painter’s canvases, Western Dream, Moontide and Nature Abhors a Vacuum, onto silk and organza. On those pieces the colourway name is the painting title rather than a colour, which is worth knowing before you filter by shade.

Fall 2026

The Autumn/Winter 2026 collection arrived at Luxury Handbags in September. The runway moved into reversible shearling coats, lambskin and suede, crushed velvet and Chantilly lace; the signature crochet is worked in wool and mohair with embroidered flowers; and a group of the merino knits, the Ronan and Lila pullovers and the Lucia skirt, is made in Italy. The prints stay, with dark florals and paisley on silk. We walk through it in the Fall 2026 edit, and the earlier drop in the Pre-Fall 2026 edit.

Sizing

Ulla Johnson cuts to US numeric sizing. Luxury Handbags lists on the UK ladder.

Knitwear, jersey, most outerwear and the leather pieces are sold on letter sizing, where each letter covers two US sizes: the designer’s P is a Petite covering US 00 to 0, S covers 2 to 4, M covers 6 to 8, L covers 10 to 12 and XL covers 14 to 16. The brand publishes no “runs small” note on any current product page and its garment tables show the dresses cut to its body chart, so the pieces run true to size. Each product page carries the brand’s own garment measurements converted to centimetres, and the full chart with body measurements is in the Ulla Johnson size guide.

Read more

Who is Ulla Johnson, the designer and the house. Is Ulla Johnson a luxury brand, with the price of every category. Ulla Johnson vs Zimmermann and brands like Ulla Johnson, for the neighbours. Where to buy Ulla Johnson, including the brand’s seven stores and shipping by country.

Frequently asked

Is Ulla Johnson true to size?

Yes. The house publishes no directional sizing advice across the collection and the cuts run true. Where a piece is deliberately relaxed the product page says so in Size and Fit, and that describes the shape rather than telling you to size up.

What UK size is a US 4 in Ulla Johnson?

A UK 8. The full ladder is above: US 0 is a UK 4, US 2 is a UK 6, US 6 is a UK 10.

Where is Ulla Johnson made?

Designed in New York and produced through long-running artisan partnerships in Peru, India, Kenya, Uruguay and the Philippines, which supply the hand-loomed cloth, embroidery and hand-dye. The denim line is handcrafted in Los Angeles and a group of the Fall 2026 merino knits is made in Italy. Each product page states the country for that piece.

Is Ulla Johnson worth the money?

On price the label reads contemporary, with a median dress of $1,350 at Luxury Shoes . On construction it is closer to designer, and the hand-work is where that gap shows. The fabrics are natural fibre rather than coated synthetics, so pieces keep their shape and their colour with normal care.

How should Ulla Johnson be cared for?

Follow the care line on the individual product page in preference to any general rule, because the house mixes machine-washable cotton with dry-clean-only silk across one collection, and the leather and shearling go to a leather specialist. Hand-dyed cloth keeps its colour best out of prolonged direct light.

Does Luxury Handbags ship Ulla Johnson internationally?

Yes. Luxury Handbags ships worldwide by DHL Express and FedEx from hubs in London, Paris, Milan, Melbourne and Dubai, insured for 110 percent of value, with returns accepted within 14 days of delivery.