Halston

Roy Halston Frowick was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1932. In 1958, he began designing millinery for Bergdorf Goodman in New York, where he created the famous "Pillbox" hat associated with Jacqueline Kennedy. Halston, as he became known, soon had a custom millinery shop and a circle of devoted clients from the upper echelons of society. He launched his first couture collection in 1962. His clothes were sleek, sophisticated, and above all, glamorous. In 1972, Halston created the Ultrasuede shirtwaist dress, and by 1976, an estimated 50,000 of them had been sold. Esquire called it "the most popular pricey dress of all time." Halston's fashion shows were star-studded events, with socialites and celebrities such as Babe Paley, Liza Minnelli, Elsa Peretti, and Bianca Jagger in attendance. Women's Wear Daily columnist Eugenia Sheppard declared 1973 to be "The Year of Halston" and in 1975, Esquire asked, "Will Halston Take Over the World?" His leading role in American fashion sprang from the close relationships he cultivated with celebrities. The nights he spent at Studio 54 with Martha Graham, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, and Andy Warhol became legendary. Fired from his own company in 1984, he died in 1990. Salon.com has called Halston "the first international fashion superstar-and possibly the best designer America has ever had," a designer who, in under twenty years, redefined American style in terms of casual elegance, luxurious comfort, and simple, modern chic.