After rising in the fashion world in the sixties as a milliner for Bergdorf Goodman (and, famously, Jacqueline Kennedy), Roy Halston Frowick launched his eponymous womenswear label in 1968, buoyed by his connections with socialites and celebrities. The label is noted for its luxurious but minimalist, modern designs, like heavyweight cashmere evening dresses, ultrasuede wrap coats, and simple jersey sarongs. Halston expanded to include menswear and perfume in 1975. In its heyday, the label was known for A-list clientele including Lauren Bacall, Bianca Jagger, Liza Minnelli, and Liz Taylor. Newsweek dubbed Halston "the best designer in America" in 1972. But almost as famous as his supporters was the designer’s reputation as a hard-partying nightlife king—drugs, booze, and Studio 54 ubiquity—which eventually led to his abrupt downward spiral. In 1973, Halston sold his name to Norton Simon Industries. He was fired from his label a decade later, and he died of AIDS-related causes in 1990. The label has had no less than eight separate owners and six designers since then, from John David Ridge through Randolph Duke and Bradley Bayou. It was revived in fall 2008 by Harvey Weinstein, Jimmy Choo’s Tamara Mellon, and stylist Rachel Zoe. The owners installed former Versace designer Marco Zanini as creative chief, who showed his first collection in February 2008. Net-a-Porter signed on to sell pieces immediately following the show. But Zanini was dismissed in July 2008, amid rumors of disagreements among the creative board about the direction of the line. The subsequent spring 2009 collection was presented at the Museum of Modern Art and created by an unnamed design team. Marios Schwab took over as the head designer for the label in 2010. The same year, Sarah Jessica Parker was appointed as the president and chief creative officer of Halston Heritage, Halston's secondary line featuring the label's archival looks. After investors Harvey Weinstein and Tamara Mellon announced they were backing out of the label in July 2011, both Marios Schwab and Sarah Jessica Parker left the fashion house. The designer-level Halston collection is said to be discontinued, and the label will instead focus on its diffusion line, Halston Heritage. No successor has been named and the label didn't show a collection for spring 2012.

Status

Established

Clients

Liza Minnelli, Liz Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Bianca Jagger, Sarah Jessica Parker

Collaborations

Halston diffusion line for JCPenney (1982)

Owned By

Hilco Consumer Capital

Address

96 Spring St.
New York, New York 10012
212-282-1200

Where To Buy

Net-a-Porter

Related Websites

• Halston (Official)
• Style.com: Halston (Media)
• Wikipedia: Halston (Other)