Stylish Cinema: "Halston" on CNN

 
Here's a premiere you can stay home for. You don't even have to dress, though you might want to don your best disco duds. CNN will be showing the new documentary "Halston" on Sunday, August 25, at 9 PM eastern.

Directed by Frederic Tcheng, who also directed "Dior and I", "Halston" looks at the designer whose name and Studio 54 are linked forever. His work epitomized the disco era in New York City, which he loved and where he lived, surrounded by a coterie of celebrity friends and the ever-present paparazzi.

Halston was talented, charismatic and handsome. His business was a huge success, with his designs spanning the industry to include couture, ready-to-wear, fragrance, uniforms, accessories, and housewares. He didn't shy away from interviews and making appearances and believed style could be had by every woman no matter her budget.

Halston was born Roy Halston Frowick in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1932 and moved to Indiana at age 10. He graduated from the Art School of the Chicago Institute of Art and began his career as a window dresser. He started making hats (on their last legs as de rigueur accessories), soon opened his own hat shop, and became famous for designing Jackie Kennedy's inaugural pillbox in 1961.

When hats fell out of favor he moved on to clothing and opened a boutique on Madison Avenue in NYC. His designs were flattering, easy to wear, simple yet sophisticated. He loved soft, luxurious fabrics like silk and chiffon and took full advantage of a new discovery, Ultrasuede, a washable faux suede. He hated extraneous details like bows that didn't tie or buttons that didn't button. Halston also believed pants would become basic to every woman's wardrobe, which they sure as heck are. He popularized caftans and matte jersey halter dresses. Almost everything he designed is just as wearable today as it was then.

Halston and two accessories

 
Meanwhile Halston was always seen on the town, surrounded by friends and muses like Liza Minelli and popular models of the time. Designing uniforms for the hip airline Braniff in 1977 was a major plum. Publicity was huge. He went on to design uniforms for the Olympics, the Girl Scouts, Avis Rent a Car, and the New York City Police Department.

Halston and the Braniff uniforms

In 1983 Halston was excited to sign a deal with JC Penney, a most-definitely mid-market retailer, hoping to bring his designs within the affordable reach of more women. He was a pioneer in that thinking, but others felt the move "cheapened" the brand. Bergdorf Goodman was the first to drop his line and other backlash followed. In the end the collaboration with JC Penney was not a success. It damaged Halston yet paved the way for other designers to successfully make those moves in future.

At the same time the Halston business was bought and sold several tims, with Halston frustrated that he had less and less control. In 1988 he was diagnosed with AIDS and moved to San Francisco to be looked after by family until his death in 1990.

The brand has been revived sporadically without great success. The magic is still there, and his influence is ridiculously apparent in what we wear today. In our minds the name "Halston" still conjures disco balls and glamour; that's when he shone the brightest.