Roy Halston Frowick, also known as
Halston (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990) was a
clothingA feature of nearly all modern human societies is the wearing of clothing or clothes, a category encompassing a wide variety of materials that cover the body....
designerA designer is a person who designs something. Perhaps the broadest definition is that provided by psychologist Herbert Simon: 'Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.'...
of the 1970s. His long dresses or copies of his style were popular fashion wear in mid-1970s
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
theques.
Roy Halston Frowick was born on April 23, 1932 in
Des Moines, IowaDes Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, the second son of a Norwegian-American
accountantAn Accountant is a practitioner of accountancy, which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers make resource allocation decisions....
. Roy developed an interest in sewing from his mother, and he began creating hats and altering clothes for his mother and sister as a child.
Roy Halston Frowick, also known as
Halston (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990) was a
clothingA feature of nearly all modern human societies is the wearing of clothing or clothes, a category encompassing a wide variety of materials that cover the body....
designerA designer is a person who designs something. Perhaps the broadest definition is that provided by psychologist Herbert Simon: 'Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.'...
of the 1970s. His long dresses or copies of his style were popular fashion wear in mid-1970s
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
theques.
Early life and career
Roy Halston Frowick was born on April 23, 1932 in
Des Moines, IowaDes Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, the second son of a Norwegian-American
accountantAn Accountant is a practitioner of accountancy, which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers make resource allocation decisions....
. Roy developed an interest in sewing from his mother, and he began creating hats and altering clothes for his mother and sister as a child. Roy graduated
Bosse High SchoolBenjamin Bosse High School in Evansville, Indiana, USA, is a public high school of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. Bosse is the smallest of the EVSC's five high schools, and third smallest high school by enrollment of Vanderburgh County's nine high schools.-History:The school was...
in
Evansville, IndianaEvansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 121,582, and a metropolitan population of 342,815...
in 1950, then attended Indiana University for one semester. In 1952, the family moved to
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, where Roy enrolled in a night course at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and worked as a window dresser.
Frowick's first big break came when the
Chicago Daily NewsThe Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It earned thirteen Pulitzer Prizes.-History:...
ran a brief story on his fashionable hats. In 1957, he opened his first shop, the Boulevard Salon, on North Michigan Avenue. It was at this point that he began to use his middle name as his professional moniker.
Halston moved to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
in late 1957, first working for
millinerMillinery refers to hats and other clothing sold by a hatter or to the profession or business of designing, making, or selling hats, dresses, and hat trim. It can also be used to refer to a type of store that sells those goods....
Lilly DachéLilly Daché was a French milliner and fashion designer.She was born in Bègles, Gironde, France, and began her fashion career there at the age of 15 as a milliner, apprenticed under Caroline Reboux and Suzanne Talbot. She emigrated to the United States in 1924, settling in New York City...
. Within a year, he had been named co-designer at Daché, became acquainted with several fashion editors and publishers, and left Daché's studio to become head milliner for department store
Bergdorf GoodmanBergdorf Goodman is a luxury goods department store based in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is owned by Neiman Marcus.-Beginnings:The company began in 1899 when Herman Bergdorf, an immigrant from Alsace, opened a tailor shop just above Union Square in downtown Manhattan...
.
Halston achieved great fame after designing the
pillbox hatA pillbox hat is a small woman's hat with a flat crown and straight, upright sides.-History:Historically, the pillbox was also a military headgear, often including a chin strap, and can still be seen on ceremonial occasions in some countries, especially those belonging to the Commonwealth. For...
Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband's
1961 presidential inaugurationThe inauguration of John F. Kennedy as the 35th President of the United States was held on January 20, 1961. The inauguration marked the commencement of the term of John F. Kennedy as President and Lyndon B. Johnson as Vice President...
, and when he moved to designing women's wear,
NewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly newsmagazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
dubbed him "the premier fashion designer of all America." His designs were worn by
Bianca JaggerBianca Jagger is a Nicaraguan-born social and human rights advocate and a former actress and fashion icon. Jagger currently serves as a Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador and is Chair of the World Future Council...
,
Liza MinnelliLiza May Minnelli is an American singer and actress of film, stage and television. She is the daughter of entertainer Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
,
Anjelica HustonAnjelica Huston is an American actress and former fashion model.Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston...
,
Lauren BacallLauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her husky voice and sultry looks....
,
Babe PaleyBarbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley was an American socialite and style icon. She was first privately, and later publicly, known by the popular name "Babe" for most of her life.- Early life :...
, and
Elizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE , also known as Liz Taylor, is an English-born British-American actress. Known for her acting skills and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages...
, setting a style that would be closely associated with the international
jet set"Jet set" is a journalistic term that was used to describe an international social group of wealthy people, organizing and participating all around the world in social activities that are unreachable to ordinary people...
of the era.
Influence
As "the first designer to realize the potential of licensing himself," his influence went beyond style to reshape the business of fashion.
Through his licensing agreement with JC Penney, his designs were accessible to women at a variety of income levels. Although this practice is not uncommon today, it was a controversial move at the time
Halston, his perfume, was sold in a bottle designed by
Elsa PerettiElsa Peretti is an Italian jewelry designer.-Biography:She was born in Florence, Italy, the daughter of a well-to-do Roman family. Educated at Volbicela School in Rome, with a diploma in interior design...
and was the second biggest selling perfume of all time.
Airline uniform designs
Halston was very influential in airline uniform designs. His designs were featured on the now-defunct carrier Braniff. His designs were more muted than the airline's past uniform designs by
Emilio PucciEmilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento was a Florentine Italian fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company are synonymous with geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colours.-Early life:...
. He made interchangeable separates in shades of bone, tan, taupe, and brown. He also designed the seat covers that were added on the aircraft and known as the "Ultra look".
Death
Despite his achievements, his increasing drug use and failure to meet deadlines (he was reluctant to hire junior designers to design licensed products) undermined his success. In October 1984, he was fired from his own company and lost the right to design and sell clothes under his own name.
In 1990, Halston died from complications of
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
in
San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,976. It is the eighth most densely populated city in the U.S. and is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San...
.
External links