Halston

Born in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, on 23rd April 1932 Roy Halston Frowick went to the University of Indiana and two years later followed a night course at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago . When still learning at the same time, he was creating and selling his own hats.

In 1953, he started out a millinery salon in a Chicago hotel, in which his customers covered movie stars like Gloria Swanson and Deborah Kerr. He was guided for a while under the expertise of Charles James, the amazing fashion and style designer. In 1958, he signed up with Lilly Dache In New York, relocating soon after to the millinery salon of Bergdorf Goodman's New York department retail store. Halston accomplished excellent fame after creating the pillbox hat Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband's 1961 presidential inauguration, and once he shifted to creating women's wear, Newsweek named him -The premier fashion designer of all America-. His styles were used by Bianca Jagger, Lauren Hutton, Liza Minnelli, Anjelica Huston, Gene Tierney, Lauren Bacall, Babe Paley, and Elizabeth Taylor, establishing a fashion trend that would be tightly connected with the worldwide jet set of the time.

In 1966, Halston started his private company creating ready-to-wear apparel, after leaving Bergdorf Goodman. Halston Ltd was established in 1968 on Madison Avenue, New York. At the time of the late 1960's and early 1970's Halston was already recognized as a status of designer knitwear, sweaters and wide legged jersey trousers. He additionally created turtlenecks, lengthy slinky halter-neck dresses, cashmere outfits for day and evening, sweater sets and boxy square jackets and coats. All the well-known people in American fashion society regarded him as the finest evening wear designer. He also tie-dyed chiffon and used matte jersey in many of his selections. In 1972, he designed a shirt-waister of Ultra-suede that influenced numerous replicas. Ultra-suede was regarded as a Halston trademark.

Fashion designer Stephen Sprouse labored at the house of Halston in the 1960’s for 3 years.

Norton Simon integrated Halston's company for $ 12-million In 1973 and branded this new section of its corporation as Halston Enterprises Inc. In 1978, he relocated all his functions to New York at the Olympic Towers Building, in Manhattan.

His reputation in the 1970's built him a public figure, most notoriously concerning the class that used to visit New York's Disco known as Studio 54. Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger were close friends and customers.

Halston was renowned for his draped jersey dresses and slim trouser suits. He was highly influenced by traditional Greek and Roman draping.

In 1983, Halston came to an agreement with J.C. Penney, the big department retailer, for a more affordable collection, that induced several of his high-class customers to abandon him. In 1984, he pursued the task of gaining back control of his custom business and designer ready-to-wear however was ineffective to do so, and finally decides to leave the company. Six years later he passed away on 26th March 1990 while just 58 years old.

The city of New York In the year 2000 chose to honor American fashion and style designers by putting bronze plaques down 7th Avenue, the amazing street of fashion in New York ,he was one of them. This was known as the "Fashion Walk of Fame'.

Different creative designers have catered for the house of Halston. Randolph Duke from 1997-1998, and then his associate Kevan Hall from 1998-1999, succeeded by Craig Natiello who remained until November 2001.

In April 2001 Thai-born Piyawat moved to Halston. He was previously with Anne Klein, Adrienne Vittadini and Vivienne Tam. When Craig Natiello left, he overtook the style and design for Halston. He introduced an excellent Fall-Winter 2002 collection, followed by a second series for Spring-Summer 2003.

Halston rolled out in 1975 his Homonymous first perfume for ladies and was sold in a bottle designed by Elsa Peretti achieving the status of second biggest selling perfume of his time. Many other releases followed including men’s fragrances with the most famous Z-14.