Beginning his career in Chicago in the late 1950s, by 1972 Halston had been named 'the premier fashion designer of all America' by Newsweek and was firmly established in New York; he counted such personalities as Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger among his friends and clients. Tall, charismatic, impeccably dressed, Halston personified the lofty ambitions and non-stop nightlife of the 1970s and early 80s.

This book, a visual anthology of Halston's life and legacy, includes previously unpublished catwalk photographs, rare archival photographs by Warhol, behind-the-scenes images of fashion shows and parties, one-off sketches and specially commissioned photographs of the collections.

By the late 1970s, the designer Halston (1932-1990) was synonymous with American style: a modern,minimal yet glamorous look that encompassed everything from a pioneering Ultrasuede dress, to flowing caftans, to perfume in a sinuous curved bottle and uniforms that lent panache to both flight attendants and The Girl Scouts of America alike. Beginning his career as a milliner to socialites and celebrities in Chicago in the late 1950s, by 1972 Halston had been named "the premier fashion designer of all America"by Newsweek magazine and was firmly established in New York; he counted such personalities as Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol, and Bianca Jagger among his friends and clients. Tall, charismatic, impeccably dressed, Halston personified the lofty ambitions and non-stop nightlife of the 1970s and early 1980s as he traveled in jet-set circles both Iouche and luxe.

This book, a visual anthology of Halston's life and legacy, includes previously unpublished catwalk photographs, rare archival photographs by Andy Warhol, behind-the-scenes images of fashion shows and parties, sketches, and specially commissioned photographs of Halston collections.

Introduction

From modiste to modern

Halston the milliner 23

Bergdoff and batik

The birth of Halston, Ltd. 53

Halston in the seventies

"..,the premier fashion designer of all America," 219

The jet-set and J,C, Penney

Halston's clientele 345

Oh Sweeticakes, I'm just pooped!"

Nightlife from Studio 54 to The Met 385

Travels and travails

Olympic Tower and beyond 423

Timeline 554

Acknowledgments 560