The American fashion icon is getting the Netflix treatment—here's everything you need to know about Halston, his inimitable brand of glamour, and what you can expect from the upcoming series
In the ’70s, New York was a hotbed of frenetic design energy that churned and burned through its stars faster than a jet plane. Fashion designer Halston was one of those stars who burned the brightest, leaving an indelible mark on the worlds of fashion and entertainment alike. Now, his life has been turned into a five-part Netflix series dropping May 14.
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The series traces the designer in his heyday of the ’70s—partying it up with his famous friends (Liza Minelli, Elsa Peretti, Bianca Jagger) at Studio 54, turning his label into one of the hottest brands in the world—and his eventual decline in the ’80s. It will show how the designer "leverages his single, invented name into a worldwide fashion empire that’s synonymous with luxury, sex, status and fame, literally defining the era he lives in, '70s and ‘80’s New York—until a hostile takeover forces him to battle for control of his most precious asset… the name Halston itself," according to the show's press release.
Ahead of the show's release, we give you an inside look at the man who inspired the show, and everything you need to know about your (soon-to-be) new Netflix obsession.
Who is Halston?
Roy Halston Frowick, known mononymously as Halston, was born on April 23, 1932 in Des Moines, Iowa. He got his start in the fashion industry as a milliner, gaining great fame for outfitting Jacqueline Kennedy in her iconic pillbox hat for JFK's presidential inauguration, before turning his focus to womenswear, pushing his sexy, glamorous aesthetic into the mainstream.
He is best known for his use of ultrasuede, a sensuous synthetic fabric that clings to every curve, and luxurious cashmere, paying attention to the strict line and form of his subjects. Unfortunately, due to a spate of bad business decisions in the ’80s, Halston eventually lost control of his company and died at 57 from Aids-related illnesses.