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Halston: Inventing American Fashion
INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards -- 2014 GOLD Winner for Popular Culture
Written by Halston’s niece and confidante, this is the first monograph to chronicle the designer’s life and his glamorous, minimalist aesthetic that personified American fashion in the electric 1970s. After rising in the fashion world from his beginnings as a milliner for Bergdorf Goodman, Roy Halston Frowick (1932–1990) launched his eponymous womenswear label in 1968, buoyed by his connections with socialites and celebrities. As the creator of Jackie Kennedy’s signature pillbox hat and as Liza Minnelli’s fashion guru throughout the 1970s and ’80s, Halston was synonymous both with American style’s modern, glamorous look and an A-list clientele. The Halston look continues to be revered today as a marker of American fashion at its peak. This book chronicles the ultrachic Halston’s journey from his homespun roots to the acme of urban fame, illustrated through the lens of the author’s personal archives and early sketches, as well as unseen Joe Eula and Stephen Sprouse drawings. His story unfolds through the author’s interviews with Jane Holzer, Marisa Berenson, Joel Schumacher, and Jeffrey Bilhuber, among others, all of whose personal narratives are essential to Halston’s enduring legacy. Spotlighting his most important design achievements and his collaborations with luminaries such as Martha Graham, Elsa Peretti, and Hiro, this book presents to readers the untold story of Halston and solidifies hisplace as a key designer in American fashion.
Written by Halston’s niece and confidante, this is the first monograph to chronicle the designer’s life and his glamorous, minimalist aesthetic that personified American fashion in the electric 1970s. After rising in the fashion world from his beginnings as a milliner for Bergdorf Goodman, Roy Halston Frowick (1932–1990) launched his eponymous womenswear label in 1968, buoyed by his connections with socialites and celebrities. As the creator of Jackie Kennedy’s signature pillbox hat and as Liza Minnelli’s fashion guru throughout the 1970s and ’80s, Halston was synonymous both with American style’s modern, glamorous look and an A-list clientele. The Halston look continues to be revered today as a marker of American fashion at its peak. This book chronicles the ultrachic Halston’s journey from his homespun roots to the acme of urban fame, illustrated through the lens of the author’s personal archives and early sketches, as well as unseen Joe Eula and Stephen Sprouse drawings. His story unfolds through the author’s interviews with Jane Holzer, Marisa Berenson, Joel Schumacher, and Jeffrey Bilhuber, among others, all of whose personal narratives are essential to Halston’s enduring legacy. Spotlighting his most important design achievements and his collaborations with luminaries such as Martha Graham, Elsa Peretti, and Hiro, this book presents to readers the untold story of Halston and solidifies hisplace as a key designer in American fashion.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 17, 2019
A large coffee table book, Frowick, who was Halston's niece also worked with him. While the text is a biography the book also offers lots of images from her collection of Halston's archive, which shows his relationship with his famous clients and how his fashion changed over time.
August 5, 2022
Halston: Inventing American Fashion is a gorgeous mammoth of a coffee table book that will tower powerfully over the others on your bookshelf (if it fits, that is). If you’re looking for a gossip riddled tell-all biography, you will not find it here. Instead, this book is crafted with familial love, rich with gorgeous photographs and meaningful personal tales. Lesley Frowick honours Halston in a way that only a close family member could, and paints a picture of her late uncle that is so much warmer and more fond than any other public depiction of the designer. The foreword by Liza Minnelli is written in a similar fashion, with a cozy admiration that will tug at your heartstrings.
It is clear from the beginning that this book was put together with careful consideration and done in the most honouring fashion possible. Lesley does a fine job of focusing on the professional aspects of Halston’s life, with beautiful descriptions of the fashion and decor along the way, but that’s not to say that a personal image of Halston is left out. We learn much through Lesley’s eyes that we couldn’t possibly learn from the lens of an outsider who hadn’t known him on a personal level. I enjoyed learning about Halstons many pranks, and I got a chuckle over how blunt his remarks could be regarding how others looked in certain unflattering pieces.
Despite how much has been written about him before, there were many interesting and new things to learn about Halston via this book, although at times the reader may be left craving more and wishing that Lesley had written a more text-focused biography instead. Still, the photographs are such a gorgeous component that I couldn’t possibly wish for a thing to change. Lesley does a magnificent job introducing us to the Halston that she knew and I would happily eat up even a crumb of additional writing from her, should she ever choose to write more.
More than just a coffee table book, this book is a wonderful reference for any fan of Halston or fashion in general. I can certainly see myself frequently enjoying flipping through the pages again and again as time goes by. It was well worth the purchase!
The Halston archives could not possibly be in better hands. I hope that his legacy may live on with as much love as this book was made with.
It is clear from the beginning that this book was put together with careful consideration and done in the most honouring fashion possible. Lesley does a fine job of focusing on the professional aspects of Halston’s life, with beautiful descriptions of the fashion and decor along the way, but that’s not to say that a personal image of Halston is left out. We learn much through Lesley’s eyes that we couldn’t possibly learn from the lens of an outsider who hadn’t known him on a personal level. I enjoyed learning about Halstons many pranks, and I got a chuckle over how blunt his remarks could be regarding how others looked in certain unflattering pieces.
Despite how much has been written about him before, there were many interesting and new things to learn about Halston via this book, although at times the reader may be left craving more and wishing that Lesley had written a more text-focused biography instead. Still, the photographs are such a gorgeous component that I couldn’t possibly wish for a thing to change. Lesley does a magnificent job introducing us to the Halston that she knew and I would happily eat up even a crumb of additional writing from her, should she ever choose to write more.
More than just a coffee table book, this book is a wonderful reference for any fan of Halston or fashion in general. I can certainly see myself frequently enjoying flipping through the pages again and again as time goes by. It was well worth the purchase!
The Halston archives could not possibly be in better hands. I hope that his legacy may live on with as much love as this book was made with.
March 11, 2015
A great overview of Halston's career by his niece. Loved it for the Iowa connection. The photos and illustrations were beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews