Many believe this explosion of diversity made the Seventies a highly creative period. It remains the twentieth century’s nadir of style and sophistication, when the postmodern, eclectic mélange of vintage clothing first became an integral part of many women’s wardrobes – accompanied by a pastiche of elements that incorporated menswear, ethnic clothing, and historical revivals of the not-so-distant past. The seventies were a period of transition and uncertainty, its fashions are among the most challenging to assess in modern fashion history.

The seventies were a time of momentous change in fashion, not only in the way clothes looked, but also in the way they were designed, made, distributed, and consumed.

What the series gets right is the compelling, arresting desire for gorgeous clothing.

Whether you are obsessed with American fashion history or with the high-polish excess of Ryan Murphy’s TV output, you’ll find plenty to love about Halston.Įxciting, entertaining and oh-so-addictive, we have a feeling youll be binging Halston this weekendpossibly amid frequent searches for his designs on eBay. The ever-prolific producer Ryan Murphy tones down his hyperactive style just enough in this satisfying five-part miniseries on the famed '70s/'80s fashion designer. Murphy keeps such a tight rein on Halston's world that the designer is unable to breathe as a subject. The series is ultimately too shallow and ephemeral to offer any real insights into Halston the man or what drove him to become one of the most well-known names in fashion. Maybe I'll go back and give it another shot.ĭetails Episode 1 Aired Becoming Halston Looking to reinvent himself Halston, sets out to create a signature look, assembling a design team and finding inspiration in Liza Minnelli.ĭetails Episode 2 Aired Versailles Halston considers a fateful business deal and meets a new charismatic escort while struggling with old insecurities before a historic fashion show.ĭetails Episode 3 Aired The Sweet Smell of Success Creating a new perfume turns into an emotional venture for Halston, whose love life grows increasingly entangled with his expanding empire.ĭetails Episode 4 Aired The Party's Over Halston's long nights at Studio 54 and days fueled by drugs take a toll Halston suffers ruptured friends, stiff competition and a sudden loss.ĭetails Episode 5 Aired Critics With his career in a nosedive and his personal life a mess, Halston receives an artistic lifeline from an old friend before embarking on a last journey. Got to episode 2 and had to quit, it just wasn't grabbing me. Roles portraying effeminate gay men should 100% go to openly gay actors since they very, very rarely are cast in straight roles. Andrew Reynolds could have rocked this part or one of many, many others. I normally adore McGreggor and think he is a great actor and exceptionally handsome and yes, the series looks gorgeous and has a good script but I think it's really wrong. I find it very offensive that this role went to Ewan McGreggor and not an openly gay male actor. Very powerful performance from Ewan McGregor. In what is a rather familiar theme for Ryan Murphy, too much emphasis is placed on style over substance. While the telling of this story is a rather shallow, paint by numbers piece, it is McGregor's performance that helps make this compelling enough to watch. The rest of the cast including Rebecca Dayan as Elsa Peretti, Sullivan Jones as Ed Austin, David Pittu as Joe Eula, and Gian Franco Rodriguez as Victor Hugo are all equally brilliant, but it's Krysta Rodriguez heartwarming turn as Liza Minnelli that will turn casting directors heads.Īll in all a worthy attempt to rectify the legacy of a true artistic talent that history forgot. Ewan McGregor stars as the titlular character, delivering an incredible, multi-layered, career best performance in a part that could so easily have been a camp caricature. Writer / Producer Ryan Murphy's 5 part limited series, tells the story of the rise and fall of 70's fashion guru / icon Roy Halston Frowick, better known simply as Halston. I caught the last half of it and thought it was well-done, well-acted, poignant, and showed the dirge-like '80's as the grim decade it was.

Elsa and halston