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1932-1990 Halston
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BaroqueRockstar
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i was looking through firstview, and they had a few seasons of halston...
does anyone know if it's the same halston? IMO the new stuff isn't impressive at all...
does anyone know if it's the same halston? IMO the new stuff isn't impressive at all...
stella-mayfair
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maybe they are doing a "revival" as is happening to BIBA at the moment... (and btw, they totally lost the original idea...)
Whitelinen
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BaroqueRockstar said:
Agree with about the quality, but can't answer your questions...I hate it when these brands get "revived", it rarely looks good anymore.
Halston was one of the great American fashion designers
FashionJunkie
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By Carina Chocano
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sept. 17, 1999[/FONT] | Before she discovered the look that would enduringly and amusingly define her throughout the rest of her life -- that is, before she became the fabulously besequined "Liza!" -- Liza Minelli was a marmot-eyed, slightly hirsute, terminally insecure star-pup without a thing to wear. Then she met Halston.
Say what you will about beaded tunics, billowing caftans, halter pantsuits and Ultrasuede shirtdresses. His clothes, whose pervasive influence can still be seen in the designs of Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Narciso Rodriguez, were different from anything that had been done before. And if, as Halston often repeated, "you are only as good as the people you dress," then he was very, very good. Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Babe Paley, Lauren Bacall, Liz Taylor, Barbara Walters, Betty Ford, the Duchess of Marlborough and Katherine Graham were all among his friends and clients.
Halston's influence on American fashion goes beyond his designs -- he took an era, reupholstered it in Ultrasuede, dabbed "Halston" on its pulse points and made it his own. A new book, "Halston: An American Original," by Elaine Gross and Fred Rottman -- which features interviews with those who knew, loved and emulated him, as well as 225 photos, some from top fashion photographers -- pays tribute to a completely original designer who, without any formal fashion training, changed the way the world dressed forever.
The first international fashion superstar -- and possibly the best designer America has ever had -- Halston was a master of detail, cut and finishing. His devotion to simplicity and elegance of line was so pure that he zealously avoided such frippery as zippers and buttons. More than construction, however, what Halston understood best was stardom -- how to fabricate, showcase and exploit it -- and how to hold people in its sway. In the mid-'70s, at the height of his success, Halston -- an international legend and the king of New York nightlife -- had the power to make women across the globe aspire to resemble hypertrophied drag queens wrapped in towels. He had the power to make Princess Grace of Monaco let herself be photographed in sky-blue Ultrasuede. He had the power to make the muumuu a must-have, because it was just about the only thing that still looked good on Elizabeth Taylor when she was expanding at a faster rate than the Crab Nebula. He even had the power to make it OK for dozens of Manhattan socialites to show up at Le Cirque wearing the same dress (the famed model No. 704, a knee-length, belted, Ultrasuede shirt, which the New York Times called a "status security blanket") and think it simply divine.
"The herd instinct is the new chic!" wrote Eugenia Sheppard. "It's like belonging to a club!"
Nowadays, when the Gap can get "everybody in vests" one month and "everybody in cords" the next, this may not seem extraordinary. But fashion and fame have changed since the late '60s and '70s. Ironically, Halston was instrumental -- both through his designs and his business decisions -- in bringing about the changes that would ultimately lead to his own demise. As much as Halston came to symbolize modernity in the '70s, and as much as he would usher in the future of fashion, he was, in many ways, old school. He truly believed that "fashion is not made by designers, it is made by fashionable people." He would never understand that eventually fashion would be made by business people, and that would be his undoing.
Born Roy Halston Frowick in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1932, Halston was voted "healthiest baby" at the Iowa State Fair. He always knew he wanted to be a milliner, and began creating hats -- much to his family's bafflement -- at a very early age. Like Coco Chanel, who also began her career as a milliner, Halston always understood the importance of having well-connected friends. In Steven Gaines' dishy 1990 biography, "Simply Halston: The Untold Story," Halston's brother Bob recalls: "In high school, my brother was driven around by rich girls in convertibles." After moving to Chicago following an abbreviated stint at the Indiana University, Halston became involved with "Basil of the Ambassador," a well-known celebrity hairstylist. It was through his stormy relationship with Basil that Halston first met milliner Lilly Daché, who would eventually give him his first New York job. Within a year of arriving in New York and becoming the new best friend of several influential fashion magazine editors and publishers, Halston, as he now called himself, left Daché's studio to become head milliner for the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman.
By the time he was 30, Halston had already won his first of five Coty Fashion Critics Awards, and had managed to convince Bergdorf's to sew his name onto the labels of his hats -- a privilege the department store had never granted another designer. He designed the pillbox hat Jackie Kennedy wore to the presidential inauguration -- which made him internationally famous.
In 1966, determined to quit hats and go into the ready-to-wear business (which he correctly saw as the wave of the future), Halston was surprised to find that many of the rich socialites and famous celebrities who absolutely adored him and thought him an absolute genius were unwilling to finance his dressmaking venture. He was eventually able to set up shop in 1968, thanks to an investment of $125,000 from a Mrs. Estelle Marsh of Amarillo, Texas -- a distinctly unfabulous and, apparently, somewhat doughy lady whom Halston privately referred to as Mrs. Marshmallow. Out of necessity, Halston turned his then-unfashionable Madison Avenue locale into an exotic, orchid-strewn oasis unlike anything in the Garment District -- and subsequently into the preferred hangout of ladies who lunch but don't fund.
(from about.com)
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sept. 17, 1999[/FONT] | Before she discovered the look that would enduringly and amusingly define her throughout the rest of her life -- that is, before she became the fabulously besequined "Liza!" -- Liza Minelli was a marmot-eyed, slightly hirsute, terminally insecure star-pup without a thing to wear. Then she met Halston.
Say what you will about beaded tunics, billowing caftans, halter pantsuits and Ultrasuede shirtdresses. His clothes, whose pervasive influence can still be seen in the designs of Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Narciso Rodriguez, were different from anything that had been done before. And if, as Halston often repeated, "you are only as good as the people you dress," then he was very, very good. Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Babe Paley, Lauren Bacall, Liz Taylor, Barbara Walters, Betty Ford, the Duchess of Marlborough and Katherine Graham were all among his friends and clients.
Halston's influence on American fashion goes beyond his designs -- he took an era, reupholstered it in Ultrasuede, dabbed "Halston" on its pulse points and made it his own. A new book, "Halston: An American Original," by Elaine Gross and Fred Rottman -- which features interviews with those who knew, loved and emulated him, as well as 225 photos, some from top fashion photographers -- pays tribute to a completely original designer who, without any formal fashion training, changed the way the world dressed forever.
The first international fashion superstar -- and possibly the best designer America has ever had -- Halston was a master of detail, cut and finishing. His devotion to simplicity and elegance of line was so pure that he zealously avoided such frippery as zippers and buttons. More than construction, however, what Halston understood best was stardom -- how to fabricate, showcase and exploit it -- and how to hold people in its sway. In the mid-'70s, at the height of his success, Halston -- an international legend and the king of New York nightlife -- had the power to make women across the globe aspire to resemble hypertrophied drag queens wrapped in towels. He had the power to make Princess Grace of Monaco let herself be photographed in sky-blue Ultrasuede. He had the power to make the muumuu a must-have, because it was just about the only thing that still looked good on Elizabeth Taylor when she was expanding at a faster rate than the Crab Nebula. He even had the power to make it OK for dozens of Manhattan socialites to show up at Le Cirque wearing the same dress (the famed model No. 704, a knee-length, belted, Ultrasuede shirt, which the New York Times called a "status security blanket") and think it simply divine.
"The herd instinct is the new chic!" wrote Eugenia Sheppard. "It's like belonging to a club!"
Nowadays, when the Gap can get "everybody in vests" one month and "everybody in cords" the next, this may not seem extraordinary. But fashion and fame have changed since the late '60s and '70s. Ironically, Halston was instrumental -- both through his designs and his business decisions -- in bringing about the changes that would ultimately lead to his own demise. As much as Halston came to symbolize modernity in the '70s, and as much as he would usher in the future of fashion, he was, in many ways, old school. He truly believed that "fashion is not made by designers, it is made by fashionable people." He would never understand that eventually fashion would be made by business people, and that would be his undoing.
Born Roy Halston Frowick in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1932, Halston was voted "healthiest baby" at the Iowa State Fair. He always knew he wanted to be a milliner, and began creating hats -- much to his family's bafflement -- at a very early age. Like Coco Chanel, who also began her career as a milliner, Halston always understood the importance of having well-connected friends. In Steven Gaines' dishy 1990 biography, "Simply Halston: The Untold Story," Halston's brother Bob recalls: "In high school, my brother was driven around by rich girls in convertibles." After moving to Chicago following an abbreviated stint at the Indiana University, Halston became involved with "Basil of the Ambassador," a well-known celebrity hairstylist. It was through his stormy relationship with Basil that Halston first met milliner Lilly Daché, who would eventually give him his first New York job. Within a year of arriving in New York and becoming the new best friend of several influential fashion magazine editors and publishers, Halston, as he now called himself, left Daché's studio to become head milliner for the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman.
By the time he was 30, Halston had already won his first of five Coty Fashion Critics Awards, and had managed to convince Bergdorf's to sew his name onto the labels of his hats -- a privilege the department store had never granted another designer. He designed the pillbox hat Jackie Kennedy wore to the presidential inauguration -- which made him internationally famous.
In 1966, determined to quit hats and go into the ready-to-wear business (which he correctly saw as the wave of the future), Halston was surprised to find that many of the rich socialites and famous celebrities who absolutely adored him and thought him an absolute genius were unwilling to finance his dressmaking venture. He was eventually able to set up shop in 1968, thanks to an investment of $125,000 from a Mrs. Estelle Marsh of Amarillo, Texas -- a distinctly unfabulous and, apparently, somewhat doughy lady whom Halston privately referred to as Mrs. Marshmallow. Out of necessity, Halston turned his then-unfashionable Madison Avenue locale into an exotic, orchid-strewn oasis unlike anything in the Garment District -- and subsequently into the preferred hangout of ladies who lunch but don't fund.
(from about.com)
FashionJunkie
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Halston: An American Original
Book Description
When I think of my beloved friend, the five words I think of are these: elegant, fashionable, generous, supportive, decent. I thank you, Halston.
-- Liza Minnelli
No American designer since Claire McCardell has had such an impact on redefining fashion as Halston. His designs have experienced a tremendous revival and are as popular today as they were when he was alive. This is the first extensive look at Halston and his contributions to the fashion world, starting with his days as a milliner; through the explosion of his clothing lines and licensing deals, to the sale of his name and trademark and his theatrical designs for Liza Minnelli and the Martha Graham Dance Company.
This comprehensive survey of Halston's work is based on exclusive interviews with the people who knew and worked with Halston throughout his turbulent career. They include such celebrity Halston fans as Liza Minnelli, Katherine Graham, and Angelica Huston as well as industry insiders such as Marc Bohan, Stan Herman, Valerie Steele, and contemporary designers who claim Halston as an inspiration for their designs. Joe Eula and Kenneth Paul Block contribute their original sketches, as do manyy well-known fashion photographers.
With more than two hundred photographs Halston: An American Original is the quintessential volume for all fans of Halston and lovers of fashion.
Product Details
http://www.amazon.com/Halston-American-Original-Elaine-Gross/dp/0060193182
Book Description
When I think of my beloved friend, the five words I think of are these: elegant, fashionable, generous, supportive, decent. I thank you, Halston.
-- Liza Minnelli
No American designer since Claire McCardell has had such an impact on redefining fashion as Halston. His designs have experienced a tremendous revival and are as popular today as they were when he was alive. This is the first extensive look at Halston and his contributions to the fashion world, starting with his days as a milliner; through the explosion of his clothing lines and licensing deals, to the sale of his name and trademark and his theatrical designs for Liza Minnelli and the Martha Graham Dance Company.
This comprehensive survey of Halston's work is based on exclusive interviews with the people who knew and worked with Halston throughout his turbulent career. They include such celebrity Halston fans as Liza Minnelli, Katherine Graham, and Angelica Huston as well as industry insiders such as Marc Bohan, Stan Herman, Valerie Steele, and contemporary designers who claim Halston as an inspiration for their designs. Joe Eula and Kenneth Paul Block contribute their original sketches, as do manyy well-known fashion photographers.
With more than two hundred photographs Halston: An American Original is the quintessential volume for all fans of Halston and lovers of fashion.
Product Details
- Hardcover: 236 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (September 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN: 0060193182
- Product Dimensions: 1.0 x 10.2 x 12.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 3.40 pounds
http://www.amazon.com/Halston-American-Original-Elaine-Gross/dp/0060193182
WhiteLinen said:Halston was one of the great American fashion designers
How true! And, sadly, we have an entire generation here that never even heard of him..He was THE best for many years..Such a sad story...
(And his clothes can still stop traffic today!!)And thanks for the book info; I've been meaning to send for it for a while now!!
FashionJunkie
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Shirtwaist dress, 1972
Halston (Roy Halston Frowick) (American, 1932–1990)
Lavender Ultrasuede
Gift of Faye Robson, 1993 (1993.351ab)
(metmuseum.org)
Halston (Roy Halston Frowick) (American, 1932–1990)
Lavender Ultrasuede
Gift of Faye Robson, 1993 (1993.351ab)
(metmuseum.org)
ultramarine
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WhiteLinen said:Agree with about the quality, but can't answer your questions...I hate it when these brands get "revived", it rarely looks good anymore.
Halston was one of the great American fashion designers
Halston lost his name -as a designer- to the investors a looong time ago -he still lived at the time- ... I dont think someone can get his aesthetic ,,,
KhaoticKharma
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Queen Latifah wears Halston often... the new stuff would be acceptable for some other brand or a new designer, but not for the name Halston.
[style.com]
[style.com]
Whitelinen
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Sorry, don't really like even those examples...there's no difference to the other American gala gowns of today.
Ok, don't shoot me for saying this about him since he's supposed to be such an "Influential designer" or whatnot. But I'm really not impressed by his work. Don't get me wrong, I mean it's pretty but I don't see anything amazing. I just got through looking at the thread on Christian Dior and I was actually amazed at the clothing, the cuts and different shapes. But Halston seems a little stale and boring to me.
KhaoticKharma
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^ If anything, I would think he would be rolling in his grave over Bradley Bayou being the head designer... I mean, that has to be the worst fashion match since Julien MacDonald at Givenchy 
stella-mayfair
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halston was a big hit with fashionable women here in germany, too. my fashionista mom was a fan, maybe that's why halston still means "glamour" to me. she owned the model no. 704 dress back in the 70s. it was the exact one fashionJunkie posted via link: http://www.salon.com/people/portfolio/1999/09/17/halston/index2.html
so thanks very much for posting!
so thanks very much for posting!
Whitelinen
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reese06 said:
Of course we won't shoot you for this comment! Everyone's entitled to think what they want, not everything is for everyone
Halston is one of the greatest American designers to me, but you are right in that Dior etc beat him easily.
Urban Stylin
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he must hav been the valentino of his age fashion wise
I always liked her personal style:tan, tall and lean, black turtlenecks, shades and cigs...Very chic (even if he was stoneed out of his mind half the time) he always looked very polished. I wonder if that was part of his charm to the ladies he dressed...? Bill Blass had the same thing; he fit right in with his customers! 
D
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His major innovation was introducing comfortable and typically casual garments for all occasions (evening and daywear). He started a huge trend with that and it continued all the way up to the late 80's.
He also did wonders with the bias, he was notorious for using even wider fabric than Vionnet so he could make his immense flowing bias dresses that often used no more than one seam for its construction.
Like Vionnet, his clothes were seemingly simple but actually very complex.
He also did wonders with the bias, he was notorious for using even wider fabric than Vionnet so he could make his immense flowing bias dresses that often used no more than one seam for its construction.
Like Vionnet, his clothes were seemingly simple but actually very complex.
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reese06 said:
well, for you to understand the importance and relevance of Halston. it would be good to understand the times that he lived in.
You made a comparison to Dior, the thing is , Halston lived in a time whem there was a lot of Frou-Frou in womens fashion, women needed help to dress themselves in the clothing made by Dior (Marc Bohan really) Ungaro etc. The simplicity that halston brought to womens fashion at the time was somewhat revolutionary.
he gave them clothes that were easy to wear, easy to travel with, and that flatter all body types. they could go out and dance, they could travel easily in a car and they could take an airplane without packing excessively.
the importance of these things may not be readily understood today. but if seen in the context of his time , it helps one to grasp his importance.
also it should be noted that haston was somewhat well known in fashion circles before he became a designer, He was a milliner at Bergdorf Goodman before his foray into fashion and was already famous for designing Jackie kennedy's "pillbox" hat...........................
