HALSTON

1932 - 1990

Roy Halston Frowick, the ultimate minimalist, shook off his first and last names and became known simply as Halston. Toward the end of his career in the early 1980s his inner circle called him H, inspiring him to create patterns of interlocking Hs on textiles and home furnishings. He used to say "my name is on the door, so I must do quality checks on every item that goes out that door." He was a consummate perfectionist.

He trademarked his name in the mid 1970s to protect his stellar brand as he was establishing it. Now almost 30 years after his death the brand lives on through many commercial endeavors.

Halston Style On Display

HAT

1957

HAT

1960

HAT

1962

HAT

1962

HAT

1962 - 1963

HAT

1960 - 1965

EVENING COAT

1960s

EVENING ENSEMBLE

1964

CAPE

1964

SET

1965

HAT

1965

Beginning his career as a milliner, Halston later crossed over to ready-to-wear, promoting minimal design. His loyal clientele of the rich and famous chose to display his creations in trendy locals such as New York's Studio 54. In 1971, he began incorporating Ultrasuede into his work, which was an instant success, becoming one of his signature fabrics. Halston's quick rise to fame ended abruptly when he agreed to design an inexpensive line for J.C. Penney. While his career ended in the eighties, his innovations continue to be seen in fashion today, and have been resurrected with the Halston brand of the twenty-first century.

The hat featured here is a wonderful example of Halston's early milinery work. The shape of the hat is very inventive as well as dramatic with the upturned brim. The clean lines and the sense of sculpture created by the shape of the hat follow Halston's design aesthetic.

HAT

1965

HAT

1965

HAT

1965

HAT

1965

HAT

1965 - 1967

HAT

1965 - 1967

ENSEMBLE

1967

SKI ENSEMBLE

1967

DRESS

1968

PAIR OF SHOES

1960s

SET

1968

ENSEMBLE

1970

This evening ensemble consists of a poncho-style top and wide-leg pants.

PAJAMA SET

1970

Roy Halston Frowick (1932-1990) was the most influential American designer of the 1970s. Halston’s geometry of design corresponded to the rise of minimalism in the art world. He pioneered soft, flowing, comfortable garments, such as this pair of evening pyjamas, which are typical, however, in their use of tie-dye, a decorative device associated with hippie anti-fashion.

TURTLENECK SWEATER

1971