Halston | |
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 Halston byAndy Warhol in 1974 | |
| Born | Roy Halston Frowick (1932-04-23)April 23, 1932 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 1990(1990-03-26) (aged 57) San Francisco,California, U.S. |
| Education | Benjamin Bosse High School |
| Alma mater | School of the Art Institute of Chicago |
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Roy Halston Frowick (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990), knownmononymously asHalston, was an Americanfashion designer. His minimalist, fluid designs helped define the look of 1970s American style. Halston was known for creating a relaxed urban lifestyle for women.[1]
In the early 1950s, while studying at theSchool of the Art Institute of Chicago, Halston launched a small business designing and crafting women's hats. His work quickly attracted a distinguished clientele, leading him to open a boutique on Chicago'sMagnificent Mile in 1957. He later moved to New York, where he became headmilliner at the luxury department storeBergdorf Goodman. His national profile soared after he created thepillbox hat worn byJacqueline Kennedy at the presidentialinauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
By the late 1960s, Halston shifted his focus to women's fashion, opening aMadison Avenue boutique and establishing aready-to-wear line that became synonymous with modern American glamour. Halston's designs—often crafted from luxurious fabrics such ascashmere andultrasuede—emerged as a defining feature of 1970s fashion, particularly in the era's vibrantdiscotheques. However, several ill-advised business decisions in the following decade led to his eventual loss of control over the Halston brand. He died in 1990 at age 57 fromAIDS-related cancer.[2][3]
Roy Halston Frowick was born on April 23, 1932, inDes Moines, Iowa,[3] the second son of accountant James Edward Frowick who was of Norwegian descent, and his stay-at-home wife Hallie Mae (née Holmes).[4] Halston developed an early interest in sewing from his grandmother and he began creating hats and altering clothes for his mother and sister. He grew up in Des Moines, and moved toEvansville, Indiana, at the age of 14.[5]
After graduating fromBenjamin Bosse High School in 1950, Halston briefly attendedIndiana University.[6]
In 1953, Halston opened his own hat business. His first customer was radio actress and comedianFran Allison. Halston's hats were also bought byKim Novak,Gloria Swanson,Deborah Kerr, andHedda Hopper.[7]
Halston moved to New York City in late 1957, first working formillinerLilly Daché. Within a year, he had been named the co-designer at Daché, became acquainted with several fashion editors and publishers, and left Daché's studio to become head milliner for department storeBergdorf Goodman in their customer milliner salon.[7]
Halston achieved great fame after designing thepillbox hat worn byJacqueline Kennedy to her husband'spresidential inauguration in 1961, and when he moved to designing women's wear,Newsweek dubbed him "the premier fashion designer of all America".[8] When hats fell out of fashion, Halston moved on to designing clothing, made possible by Estelle Marsh, a millionaire fromAmarillo, Texas. Marsh was his sole financial backer during this critical time of development. He opened his first boutique onMadison Avenue in 1968. The collection that year included a dark jade velvet wedding gown for advertising executiveMary Wells Lawrence. Lawrence was married to the CEO ofBraniff International Airways,Harding Lawrence. She would be instrumental in bringing Halston to Braniff in 1976 to design Braniff's hostess, pilot, ticket agent, and ground personnel uniforms.[9]
Halston launched his firstready-to-wear line, Halston Limited, in 1969.[10] Halston's design was usually simple, minimalist yet sophisticated, glamorous and comfortable at the same time. Halston liked to use soft, luxurious fabric like silk and chiffon. He later toldVogue that he got rid of "...all of the extra details that didn't work—bows that didn't tie, buttons that didn't button, zippers that didn't zip,wrap dresses that didn't wrap. I've always hated things that don't work."[11] Halston changed the fitted silhouette and showed the female body shape by allowing the natural flow of the fabric to create its own shape. Halston said "Pants give women the freedom to move around they've never had before. They don't have to worry about getting into low furniture or low sportscars. Pants will be with us for many years to come—probably forever if you can make that statement in fashion."[12]
Halston's boutique drew celebrity clients likeGreta Garbo,Babe Paley,Anjelica Huston,Gene Tierney,Lauren Bacall,Elizabeth Taylor,Bianca Jagger andLiza Minnelli.[13] From 1968 to 1973, his line earned an estimated $30 million.[11]
In 1970,Hope Portocarrero, first lady ofNicaragua and client, issued a postage stamp dedicated to Halston.[14]
In 1973, Halston sold his line toNorton Simon, Inc. for $16 million but remained its principal designer. This afforded him creative control with near unlimited financial backing. Later in the same year he participated to the historicBattle of Versailles Fashion Show.[15]
In 1975,Max Factor released Halston's first namesake fragrance for women (Halston Classic by perfumer Bernard Chant).[16] By 1977, sales from the perfume had generated $85 million.[10] Throughout the 1970s, Halston had expanded his line to include menswear, luggage, handbags, lingerie and bedding.[17]Vogue later noted that Halston was responsible for popularizingcaftans, which he made for Jacqueline Kennedy;[17] mattejersey halter top dresses; andpolyurethane in American fashion.[11]
In March 1977, Halston hosted a benefit for theMartha Graham Dance Company atBergdorf Goodman in New York.[18]
In 1978, Halston relocated his headquarters to the top of theOlympic Tower at 641Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.[19] With 18-foot-high ceilings and fully glazed exterior walls, the showroom offered sweeping views of the city that were amplified by mirrored interior partitions.[19] Seats at Halston's fashion shows were highly coveted, with the front row consistently filled by his famous circle, includingMartha Graham, Liza Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, and Andy Warhol, andSteve Rubell.[20]
As Halston's popularity and fame grew, those he worked with also became well known. His favored models includedPat Cleveland,Anjelica Huston, Heidi Goldberg,Karen Bjornson,Beverly Johnson, Nancy North, Chris Royer,Alva Chinn, Connie Cook, andPat Ast.[21] This entourage of models were eventually dubbed “The Halstonettes” by fashion journalistAndré Leon Talley. The Halstonettes appeared together in editorials and ads for Halston clothing and cosmetics and appeared at many Halston-related events. The troupe often travelled with Halston, attended his galas, acted as his muses, and reflected ethnic diversity (Halston was one of the first major designers to hire models of different races to walk in his shows and appear in his ads).[22][23]
Halston was very influential in the design of uniforms. In 1977 he was contracted byBraniff International Airways to create a new look for their flight attendants. He created muted brown uniforms with a distinctive "H" logo. Halston created interchangeable separates in shades of bone, tan and taupe which the airline extended to the seat covers, using brown Argentine leather. The entire scheme was dubbed "Ultra Touch" by the airline in reference to Halston's ultrasuede designs, and was extremely evocative of the late 1970s. An elaborate party was thrown in February 1977, dubbed Three Nights in Acapulco, to introduce the new Halston fashions along with the new and elegantBraniff International Airways.[24]
Braniff chairmanHarding Lawrence, his wifeMary Wells Lawrence, First LadyLady Bird Johnson, and Halston himself along with his Halstonettes were in attendance for the grand presentation. Halston and his entourage would arrive at selected points during the party in outfits that matched the deep tones of Braniff Airways' new color schemes that would be applied to their aircraft as part of the new so-called Elegance Campaign. The party and the Halston creations were a hit not only with the fashion press but also with Braniff employees, who thought they were the easiest and most comfortable uniforms they had ever worn.[24]
He was asked by theU.S. Olympic Committee to design the Pan American Games andU.S. Olympic Team's uniforms in 1976. He also designed the uniforms for theGirl Scouts, theNew York Police Department, and theAvis Rent a Car System.[25]
In 1983, Halston signed a six-year licensing deal worth a reported $1 billion with retail chainJ. C. Penney. The line, called Halston III, consisted of affordable clothing, accessories, cosmetics and perfumes ranging from $24 to $200. At the time, the move was considered controversial, as no other high-end designer had ever licensed their designs to a mid-priced chain retail store. While Halston was excited about the deal and felt that it would only expand his brand, the deal damaged his image with high-end fashion retailers who felt that his name had been "cheapened".[26]Bergdorf Goodman at the time dropped his Halston Limited line from their store shortly after plans for Halston III were announced.[27]
In 1983, Halston Limited, which was owned by Norton Simon, Inc., was acquired by Esmark Inc. After the acquisition, Halston began to lose control over his namesake company and grew frustrated. As the label changed hands (it would be owned byPlaytex International,Beatrice Foods and four other companies),[10] Halston continued to lose control and, by 1984, was banned from creating designs for Halston Enterprises, being replaced in that role byJohn David Ridge.[28] He attempted to buy back his company through protracted negotiations.[29] Halston Enterprises was eventually acquired byRevlon in 1986. Halston was paid a salary by Revlon but had stopped designing clothing for the company. He continued designing for family and friends, most notably Liza Minnelli andMartha Graham. In 1986, Halston designed the costumes for theMartha Graham Dance Company'sTemptations of the Moon.[30] After his contract with Revlon expired, he was in talks to sign a new contract with the company but stopped negotiations after he learned that Revlon planned to continue the line without his input.[7] The line continued on with various designers until 1990, when Revlon discontinued the clothing portion of the line but continued selling Halston perfumes.[31]
Halston was frequently photographed atStudio 54 with his close friendsLiza Minnelli,Bianca Jagger,Joe Eula, andAndy Warhol.[6]
Halston was openly gay, and most notably, he dated Venezuelan-born artistVictor Hugo.[32] Theiron-and-off relationship lasted a little over ten years.[33] The two first met in 1972, reportedly when Hugo answered a call‑boy service request from Halston — a meeting that evolved from a transactional encounter into a romantic relationship.[34] Soon after, Hugo moved into Halston's Manhattan home and was placed on the payroll at his company.[35][32] Halston assigned Hugo to design the window displays for his Madison Avenue boutique — a position that previously belonged to his former associate.[36] During their years together, Halston and Hugo became fixtures of New York nightlife, especially at the legendary nightclub Studio 54. Their lifestyle has been described as hedonistic — marked by frequent partying and recreational drug use.[37]
According toThe New York Times, Halston was known to have had an affair with fashion designerLuis Estevez.[38]
In 1988, Halston tested positive forHIV.[10] After his health began to fail, he moved toSan Francisco, where he was cared for by his family. On March 26, 1990, he died ofKaposi's sarcoma, anAIDS-defining illness, at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.[7] His remains were cremated.[39]
In June 1990, Halston's longtime friend the singer and actressLiza Minnelli sponsored a tribute atLincoln Center'sAlice Tully Hall that was followed by a reception hosted by his friendElsa Peretti.[40]
From November 2014 to January 2015, a traveling exhibition entitledHalston and Warhol Silver and Suede was sponsored by the Warhol Museum and co-curated by Halston's niece Lesley Frowick.[41]
From February to April 2015, an exhibition was held in the museum of theFashion Institute of Technology in New York City to celebrate Halston's 1970s fashions.[42]
In March 2017,Halston Style, a retrospective of his career, opened at theNassau County Museum of Art. The retrospective was curated by Halston's niece Lesley Frowick and features material derived from his personal archives that he gave to her before his death. Frowick also authored the accompanying catalogue,Halston: Inventing American Fashion.[43]
According to fashion criticRobin Givhan, whenTom Ford relaunchedGucci andYves Saint Laurent in the late 1990s, he found his inspiration in the glittering glamour of Halston's style: "When Ford added Yves Saint Laurent to his workload in 1999, he did due diligence in researching the house's history. But his work continued to display a louche attitude that recalled the best of Halston."[44]
In 2010, Halston was the subject of the documentaryUltrasuede: In Search of Halston.[45]
In May 2019, the documentaryHalston, directed byFrédéric Tcheng was released. The documentary revived interest in Halston and The Halstonettes. In May 2019, The New York Times released an article, "Halston’s Women Have Their Say" which outlined many of the Halstonette women reflecting on their experience.[46] A similar article was published in August 2019, by CNN titled, "Free Inside Our Clothes: Top Models Remember What It Was Like to Walk a Halston Show".[23]
Ewan McGregor portrayed the designer in the television miniseriesHalston, which premiered May 14, 2021 onNetflix, adapted from the 1991 biographySimply Halston bySteven Gaines.[47]
Since Halston's death in 1990, his namesake company changed hands several times. After Revlon ceased production of the clothing portion of the company in 1990, it was purchased by Borghese in 1991. In 1996, sportswear firm Tropic Tex bought the Halston clothing license (Revlon still retains the rights to Halston fragrances) and hired designer Randolph Duke to relaunch the line. Duke's first collection debuted in fall 1997 to critical acclaim.Mariah Carey,Celine Dion andMinnie Driver (who wore a crimson Halston dress to the70th Academy Awards ceremony) were among the celebrities to wear the new Halston creations. By 1998, Duke left the company after it was sold toCatterton-Simon, a private equity fund.[48] Later that year, designerKevan Hall was hired as head designer for the label then called House of Halston. Hall's first collection for the label debuted in Spring 1998 to critical acclaim.[49] In 1999, Catterton-Simon sold Halston Enterprises to Neema Clothing.[48] Head designer Kevan Hall left the House of Halston in 2000.[50]
After Hall's departure, Halston's new owner, James J. Ammeen, planned to relaunch the Halston line as a luxury brand and hired designer Bradley Bayou. Bayou's line, Bradley Bayou for Halston, was worn byOprah Winfrey andQueen Latifah. Bayou left Halston in frustration in 2005 after Ammeen refused to give Bayou more money for advertising.[48]
In 2006,Jimmy Choo co-founderTamara Mellon, stylistRachel Zoe, and film producerHarvey Weinstein partnered with Hilco Consumer Capital to purchase the line in another effort to relaunch it. Problems about the line's new direction quickly arose when Tamara Mellon and Rachel Zoe could not agree on a designer. Former Versace designer Marco Zanini was eventually hired in July 2007.[51]
From 2007 to 2008, Halston under the Tamara Mellon administration approached and voted in Chris Royer as the Halston Archivist and a member of their advisory board. She developed the Hilco/Halston Archive of over 300 Halston vintage unique pieces, which included editorial articles and all background information in reference to Halston design. In 2008, Chris Royer curated the “Neiman Marcus Halston Glam" exhibition in San Francisco utilizing the Halston/Hilco archives. And certain pieces were loaned again in 2014 for the "Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede" traveling exhibition.[52]
Zanini's Halston collection debuted in February 2008 to mixed reviews. Zanini left Halston in July 2008 and a British designer, Marios Schwab, was hired in May 2009.[48] Halston Enterprises then decided to launch a second line called Halston Heritage. The Heritage line is based on archived sketches by Halston with modern updates.[44] In 2009, actressSarah Jessica Parker wore two Halston Heritage dresses in the filmSex and the City 2 and the company hired her as the president and chief creative officer for the mainline. She also oversaw the Halston Heritage line.[48][53]
In February 2011, Marios Schwab released his first Halston collection for the autumn/winter season.[48] During her tenure as creative director, Sarah Jessica Parker chose jewelerJacqueline Rabun to design a selection of silver accessories.[54]
Nevertheless, Schwab's collection debuted to negative critical reception.[48] In the August 2011 issue of AmericanVogue, Sarah Jessica Parker revealed that she had left the company.[55] Schwab andHarvey Weinstein left the company shortly thereafter.[48][56]
In late 2011, Hilco Consumer Capital consolidated ownership and brought in Ben Malka, former president of BCBG, to continue the Halston Heritage business as chairman and CEO. Malka enlisted the help of Marie Mazelis, the former creative director of Max Azria and Hervé Léger, to spearhead the re-launch of the contemporary line. Hilco decided to focus exclusively on the Halston Heritage ready-to-wear activity and invested an additional $7.5 million for its development.[44]
In September 2012, the company moved its headquarters from New York to Los Angeles.[57] In February 2013, Halston Heritage signed a deal with theMajid Al Futtaim Group for distribution of its products in theUnited Arab Emirates.[58] In 2015, the company sold H by Halston and H Halston to the company Xcel that specializes in bringing fairly known brands to mass market outlets.[44]
The fall 2018 collection was focused onathleisure apparel.[59][60]
Ken Downing was named the creative director of Halston in 2022.[61]
Halston was identified as a subsidiary in Revlon's 2022 bankruptcy, as BrandCo Halston 2020 LLC.[62]
Mr. Estévez's personal life favored licentiousness over licenses. He claimed many affairs with men and women, including Halston and Ethel Merman, despite a wedding to Betsy Dew, a socialite, at which Hubert de Givenchy was his best man.
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