The Rise & Fall Of Halston

In A New Documentary 29 Years After The Designer’s Death, Friends And Family Reflect On How The Mysterious Man From The Midwest Became A Great American Fashion Designer

- Colleen Kratofil

In the 1970s Halston had it all. His ultrasuede shirtdresses and flattering caftans were worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall and Liza Minnelli. He was a regular at Studio 54, holding court with Bianca Jagger and Andy Warhol, and his parties with Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and Al Pacino were legendary. “Nobody could touch him,” says model Pat Cleveland, one of a handful of “Halstonettes” who ruled his runways and accompanied him everywhere. “He was so modern, so exactly right for that moment. His clothes didn’t look like anything else anyone had done.” But his moment didn’t last. By 1984 his career was over, and he had lost the right to create under his own name. Now a new documentary, Halston (playing in select theaters), explores the rise to superstardom and the swift and shocking demise of America’s first international fashion star. “I felt like there was an incomplete picture of Halston,” says director Frédéric Tcheng. “I wanted to discover the Halston behind the sunglasses.”