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Simply Halston: The Untold Story
Inspiration for the Netflix Limited Series Halston starring Ewan McGregor Bestselling author Steven Gaines traces the life of Roy Halston Frowick, from the cornfields of the Midwest to the spires of Manhattan, where for ten years Halston reigned as the country’s first celebrity designer, a genius couturier. His circle of friend included some of the most glamorous women in the world, included Elizabeth Taylor, Babe Paley, and Liza Minelli. His name became synonymous with classically cut elegant designs. At the height of his fame in the 1970s Halston became a central figure in another glittery world—New York nightlife, which pulsed to the beat of Studio 54, drugs and sex. At the pinnacle of his success Halston sold his company, and his name, a hollow triumph. Ravaged by the machinations of big business and swept away by the excesses of his personal life, he unwittingly caused the slow destruction of his empire. Entangled in a legal morass, his spirit broken—but not his dignity—Halston struggled to make a triumphant comeback…a comeback he would never live to make. The result of three years of research and hundreds of interviews with Halstons’ friends, lovers, business associates and antagonists, Simply Halston is a riveting account of a man and his times. It’s a stunning American success story, one of glory turned to tragedy. Steven Gaines is the New York Times bestselling author of Philistines at the Passion and Property in the Hamptons; The Sky’s the Passion and Property in Manhattan; Simply Halston, the biography of the fashion designer; and a memoir, One Of These Things First, among other books. His journalism has appeared in Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and New York magazine, where he was a contributing editor for 12 years. Mr. Gaines is the co-founder and a past vice-chairman of the Hamptons International Film Festival. He has lived in Wainscott, a small hamlet on the East End of Long Island, for 40 years. "If you want to know the seamy underside of the glamorous fashion industry, get ready."--New York Times Book Review "A riveting tale...jam packed with sordid details...a fascinating, disturbing portrait of the imaginative decadence of the disco era."--Kirkus Reviews "Sex, drugs and fashion. This shocking book details the rise and fall of one of America's premier designers...perverse and lurid."--San Francisco Chronicle. Dazzling!"--Newsday "Dramatic"--New York Times "This book is wry and witty, but it is Halston himself who steals the show."--Booklist Cover Photography Robin Platzer/ Twin Images
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 10, 2021
Excellent Study
I wanted the 4 part Halston series on television. At the end, I wanted to know more about the man so I decided to read to work on which it was based. Not a mistake in the least. Gaines' book provided the detail I craved, filled in gaps, and corrected misconceptions and misrepresentations in the TV series. I highly recommend the book. Articulate. Well written. Well researched. Easily approachable.
I wanted the 4 part Halston series on television. At the end, I wanted to know more about the man so I decided to read to work on which it was based. Not a mistake in the least. Gaines' book provided the detail I craved, filled in gaps, and corrected misconceptions and misrepresentations in the TV series. I highly recommend the book. Articulate. Well written. Well researched. Easily approachable.
October 13, 2021
I'm not sure how to begin when explaining this book. I watched the Netflix episode, and then bought the book from Amazon.
Roy Halson Frowick was born in the Midwest, Des Moines, Iowa. His father was abusive in his temper was uncontrollable. Unable to keep a job, his family moved frequently, increasingly to down and out dumps.
To help his mother's sadness, at an early age, he made hats for her. When an adult, he moved to Manhattan, where he was known as a hat designer. When Jackie Kennedy wore a dress by Cassini, and a hat by Halston, it was a terrific outfit and brought attention to Halston.
Difficult to make the transition from hat making when the industry closed as a result of changing ways in which women wanted to be dressed. Halston's hats were out, but soon, his incredible designs of women's clothing were the rage. His clothes were simplistically beautiful. in the 1070's, he became the king of women's couturier., and gained international fame as well. his minimalist, clean designs were made of ultrasuede and or cashmere. At the top of his success, his jumpers, evening gowns and reader to wear clothing dresses the rich and famous. In 1984 he was a four-time Coty fashion award recipient.
He clothed the famous such as Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli, Babe Paley, Bianca Jagger, to name a few. He was selling clothes and an image.
Bergdorf Goodman carried both his perfume and his dresses. At the height of his fame in the 1970's, all too soon the gay Halston became very much a part of Studio 54, where cocaine and various drugs were frequent. Not only dancing, but sex was exhibited in a sensational manner.
His personal life became out of control. Taking limos for just one block, it was not unusual for the accounting books to reflect thousands of dollars per month for this habit. This was not the only habit that Halston had. His cocaine habit was out of control.
In the mid 80's his ego was like the prince with no clothes. He was not uncontrollable. When his cocaine habit interfered with his ability to produce on time, his company was bought by those much larger than he. An accountant who had a reputation of turning companies around and cutting expenses to the minimum, Halston's ego would not allow anyone to tell him what to do.
Friend of the iconic fashion designer, Charles James, and the well-known artist Andy Warhol, he loved the lavish life style.
He was promiscuous in the time when AID first was discovered to cause death, and the knowledge it was transmitted thought unprotected sex, Halston paid no mind to caution.
He openly ordered men from telephone services. Never spending the night, he only wanted sex.
Sex, drinking, smoking and and ego that was sky high, alll too soon caused the company to crash. The 80's were the time of business take overs, and Halston's poorly run company all too soon was bought out by much larger companies who knew how to control their assets. He sold not only the company, but his name as well.
When he contracted aids n 1988, Halston's life was soon to be over. His long-term, incredibly decadent boy friend Victor Hugo a sex worker from Venezuela, by his own admission, had sexual contact with "thousands."
His relationship with a very out of touch, sadistic man, was his undoing. When the cash dried up and Hugo could no longer get the money he needed for his habits, he decided that he could blackmail Halston with sex tapes he recorded.
Halston's life was ending, and he moved to California where his brother and sister took care of him and forbid Hugo to be a part of his life, and then death.
Andy Warhol, was also part of the part of sex, love and drugs scene. Also a play mate of Victor Hugo, when Warhol died, his diaries were found, in them were salacious descriptions of the wild life of Halston. At the time of publication, Halston was struggling
to stay alive. The Warhol publications were the end of Halston.
He died in March of 1990, a short two years after the discovery that he carried AIDS.
He died of Kaposi's carcinoma, an AIDS-defining illness, at the Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center in San Francisco.
His star shone brightly, and faded as result of changing styles in the fashion industry, and his out of control addictions to drugs and sex.
Roy Halson Frowick was born in the Midwest, Des Moines, Iowa. His father was abusive in his temper was uncontrollable. Unable to keep a job, his family moved frequently, increasingly to down and out dumps.
To help his mother's sadness, at an early age, he made hats for her. When an adult, he moved to Manhattan, where he was known as a hat designer. When Jackie Kennedy wore a dress by Cassini, and a hat by Halston, it was a terrific outfit and brought attention to Halston.
Difficult to make the transition from hat making when the industry closed as a result of changing ways in which women wanted to be dressed. Halston's hats were out, but soon, his incredible designs of women's clothing were the rage. His clothes were simplistically beautiful. in the 1070's, he became the king of women's couturier., and gained international fame as well. his minimalist, clean designs were made of ultrasuede and or cashmere. At the top of his success, his jumpers, evening gowns and reader to wear clothing dresses the rich and famous. In 1984 he was a four-time Coty fashion award recipient.
He clothed the famous such as Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli, Babe Paley, Bianca Jagger, to name a few. He was selling clothes and an image.
Bergdorf Goodman carried both his perfume and his dresses. At the height of his fame in the 1970's, all too soon the gay Halston became very much a part of Studio 54, where cocaine and various drugs were frequent. Not only dancing, but sex was exhibited in a sensational manner.
His personal life became out of control. Taking limos for just one block, it was not unusual for the accounting books to reflect thousands of dollars per month for this habit. This was not the only habit that Halston had. His cocaine habit was out of control.
In the mid 80's his ego was like the prince with no clothes. He was not uncontrollable. When his cocaine habit interfered with his ability to produce on time, his company was bought by those much larger than he. An accountant who had a reputation of turning companies around and cutting expenses to the minimum, Halston's ego would not allow anyone to tell him what to do.
Friend of the iconic fashion designer, Charles James, and the well-known artist Andy Warhol, he loved the lavish life style.
He was promiscuous in the time when AID first was discovered to cause death, and the knowledge it was transmitted thought unprotected sex, Halston paid no mind to caution.
He openly ordered men from telephone services. Never spending the night, he only wanted sex.
Sex, drinking, smoking and and ego that was sky high, alll too soon caused the company to crash. The 80's were the time of business take overs, and Halston's poorly run company all too soon was bought out by much larger companies who knew how to control their assets. He sold not only the company, but his name as well.
When he contracted aids n 1988, Halston's life was soon to be over. His long-term, incredibly decadent boy friend Victor Hugo a sex worker from Venezuela, by his own admission, had sexual contact with "thousands."
His relationship with a very out of touch, sadistic man, was his undoing. When the cash dried up and Hugo could no longer get the money he needed for his habits, he decided that he could blackmail Halston with sex tapes he recorded.
Halston's life was ending, and he moved to California where his brother and sister took care of him and forbid Hugo to be a part of his life, and then death.
Andy Warhol, was also part of the part of sex, love and drugs scene. Also a play mate of Victor Hugo, when Warhol died, his diaries were found, in them were salacious descriptions of the wild life of Halston. At the time of publication, Halston was struggling
to stay alive. The Warhol publications were the end of Halston.
He died in March of 1990, a short two years after the discovery that he carried AIDS.
He died of Kaposi's carcinoma, an AIDS-defining illness, at the Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center in San Francisco.
His star shone brightly, and faded as result of changing styles in the fashion industry, and his out of control addictions to drugs and sex.
December 16, 2021
I am shocked I finished this book. I would have given up on it, if not for my undying love for the relationship of Liza and Halston that made me see it through. Steven Gaines, I promise no one cares about these business deals that much, you know what they say, “numbers.”
Don’t read it in full, skip to the good parts and watch Halston on Netflix.
Don’t read it in full, skip to the good parts and watch Halston on Netflix.
May 5, 2023
This seemed to be a well-rounded book about Halston. It included the good, bad, and ugly. I like books about 70’s New York so this was especially enjoyable.
June 27, 2021
After watching the Netflix series on Halston I wanted to know more about the man and his career.
Simply Halston filled in some of the gaps though it's skimpy on his personal life. It's a fast and breezy read. The copy I received from Amazon appears to be a Print On Demand and the photographs are small, gray and grainy. Major disappointment in a book that's about fashion and the fashionable.
Simply Halston filled in some of the gaps though it's skimpy on his personal life. It's a fast and breezy read. The copy I received from Amazon appears to be a Print On Demand and the photographs are small, gray and grainy. Major disappointment in a book that's about fashion and the fashionable.
Want to read
May 28, 2021Why this book? Because I just watched the miniseries on Netflix.
January 6, 2022
The first time I heard about Halston was in the summer of 1998, when the movie 54 came out. Then I tried to find out more about him, but little was to be found - and this book was out of stock.
After some twenty years, a documentary and a Netflix serie managed to bring the book back on the racks, and I am able to read about this great American designer, gone too soon, somehow forgotten by the new generations, yet an emblem of the great American couture design (possibly more wow than Tom Ford creations for his own brand).
After some twenty years, a documentary and a Netflix serie managed to bring the book back on the racks, and I am able to read about this great American designer, gone too soon, somehow forgotten by the new generations, yet an emblem of the great American couture design (possibly more wow than Tom Ford creations for his own brand).
April 17, 2023
As a fan of Halston, I’ve wanted to read this book for some time. It has a good length, yet strangely leaves you wanting more. There is a lot of business talk, if that floats your boat, but even then, I somehow felt that there was nothing to be learned. If you’ve watched even one documentary on Halston, you will learn nothing new.
To this books credit, there was more information on the early years of Halstons career as a milliner than most biographies or documentaries offer, which was the most enjoyable portion of the book in my opinion. Everything afterwards sort of felt like reading a wikipedia article.
I recommend Lesley Frowick’s coffee table book about Halston to anybody who wishes to learn more about the designer, from the mouths of people who knew and loved him.
To this books credit, there was more information on the early years of Halstons career as a milliner than most biographies or documentaries offer, which was the most enjoyable portion of the book in my opinion. Everything afterwards sort of felt like reading a wikipedia article.
I recommend Lesley Frowick’s coffee table book about Halston to anybody who wishes to learn more about the designer, from the mouths of people who knew and loved him.
June 16, 2021
Nothing simple about Halston
This is an interesting book about one of America's most famous designers. Halston was basically a mid Western guy with an incredible sense of fashion particularly as applied to American women. He enjoyed success beyond words which ultimately destroyed him. His lifestyle and drug habit killed him. Gossipy, salacious and an ultimately sad tale about the wages of a life lived close to the edge.
This is an interesting book about one of America's most famous designers. Halston was basically a mid Western guy with an incredible sense of fashion particularly as applied to American women. He enjoyed success beyond words which ultimately destroyed him. His lifestyle and drug habit killed him. Gossipy, salacious and an ultimately sad tale about the wages of a life lived close to the edge.
August 22, 2021
Inspired by the Netflix show, I very much enjoyed this (as I always do the work of Steven Gaines). Came away with a good feel of Halston the artist, and how insensitively he was treated by his corporate partners, who had no idea how to deal with a creative, sometimes difficult personality. I ended up liking both the maestro and the essentially nice Midwesterner Halston was. I lived in NYC in the early 80s, and the book brought back lots of memories of that time and place.
June 9, 2021
After seeing the Netflix series, I was eager to read the book upon which it was based. The book was interesting and went into more depth about the business deal that involved Halston, JC Penney, etc. However, it didn't go into a lot of detail about his relationships which is probably because Halston was so famously private.
June 28, 2021
I saw the series Halston on Netflix, and then read the book. I felt the same way at the end of the book as I did at the end of the Netflix series. My heart goes out to Halston. He may not be what some people are comfortable with, but, from what friends and critiques stated, he was a kind and very giving person. Obviously, he was the ultimate creative, talented mind.
July 19, 2021
I had no idea that this man affected women's fashion as he did. He was a gifted designer. His confidence in hmself made him a success and caused his downfall. His lifestyle killed him and ruined his carrier. The writing style made this an easy book to read. I was sad that his life turned out as it did.
June 13, 2024
I am shocked I finished this book. I would have given up on it, if not for my undying love for the relationship of Liza and Halston that made me see it through. Steven Gaines, I promise no one cares about these business deals that much, you know what they say, “numbers.”
Don’t read it in full, skip to the good parts and watch Halston on Netflix.
Don’t read it in full, skip to the good parts and watch Halston on Netflix.
September 4, 2021
Great interesting read. Highly recommend.
Interesting read. Takes you through the backdrop of the wild 70s and 80s. A depth of background that we only knew snippets of as headlines.
Interesting read. Takes you through the backdrop of the wild 70s and 80s. A depth of background that we only knew snippets of as headlines.
January 21, 2022
My only complaint is that I felt there was far too much business talk, I understand it's importance in Halston's story but it was a bit of a drag to get through some parts.
Besides that, it was a wonderful look at Halston's very interesting life.
Besides that, it was a wonderful look at Halston's very interesting life.
January 26, 2023
Very good
This is a good biography of Halston. It is not scandalous, but it also is honest about what kind of man Halston wss. The story of all his business deals is quite convoluted and hard to follow and I think even Halston found it hard to understand.
This is a good biography of Halston. It is not scandalous, but it also is honest about what kind of man Halston wss. The story of all his business deals is quite convoluted and hard to follow and I think even Halston found it hard to understand.
June 8, 2021
Great, breezy bio of Halston. Steven Gaines knows how to cover the 70's and 80's
July 1, 2021
Even though it does a great job at tracing the complete outline of the Halston universe, Gaines’ recollections felt somehow tainted by—what I’m assuming—his personal grudges with the subject.
July 2, 2021
Great book!!
Easy read, but extremely interesting look into the fashion world and behind the scenes! Would highly recommend this book !
Easy read, but extremely interesting look into the fashion world and behind the scenes! Would highly recommend this book !
February 8, 2023
Crazy story of a genius lost in time. All of this behind the scenes is tragic for someone with so much potential.
February 18, 2024
Good read and informative view of Halston's adult life. I had seen the movie on Netflix and I must say the movie was actually better, which is rare.
December 10, 2025
Sorry not interested in fashion or homosexuality so wasn't my "type" of story late in the year reading.
Read
December 22, 2021Definitely way over dramatized. The chronology was an absolute nightmare—and I know grouping events by topic instead of year helps create a tone for the book, but the tone itself was sort of horrible.
So so much listing. Listing of friends, clothes, parties, drugs—everything. Created a constant sense of anticlimax. Even few times a full story was thrown in with the lists and anecdotes it felt clunky, drawn out, and out of place.
And I really don’t understand what possessed him to go into excruciating detail about every twist and nuance of the late stage business deals.
The sheer amount of information was great though. And whenever he was trying to pack a punch, he definitely succeeded.
June 22, 2021
The book is about Halston, the herculean and the hedonic. Watched the Netflix adaptation and it's good.
August 5, 2022
3.5 ⭐
I found this book so interesting, certainly as a person he was intriguing but this book also reflects the complexities of business and especially the pitfalls of using your name as a brand.
One thing I would have appreciated is more photos of the designs and sketches especially when so many iconic items are referred to.
I found this book so interesting, certainly as a person he was intriguing but this book also reflects the complexities of business and especially the pitfalls of using your name as a brand.
One thing I would have appreciated is more photos of the designs and sketches especially when so many iconic items are referred to.
January 3, 2022
Halston was a great American designer of clothing, at first a hat-maker for Bergdorf Goodman’s Department store who designed hats for the likes of Jackie Kennedy, but later a designer of dresses, sportswear, perfume, and much, much more. He grew up in the Midwest, got his start in fashion very modestly in Chicago, moved on to New York, and eventually built a fashion empire under the umbrella of a succession of large, rich, corporate conglomerates that would rival the great fashion houses of Europe and serve as a template for sprawling fashion businesses that license a famous name for everything from handbags to scents.
Halston’s reach and success peaked in the 1980s, and it is the milieu of Warhol and cocaine and corporate raiders in New York City that provides the most entertaining backdrop to the Halston story. After building a tremendous fashion empire he lost it all in a spectacular downfall that involved over-the-top debauchery, temper tantrums, and an ill-conceived and poorly-executed deal with JCPenney to bring the Halston glamour to the masses.
In a way, you almost can’t go wrong with this story - there are so many varied elements in it that just make for great reading - Halston’s creative genius, his personality quirks, his incredible success, his odd friends. Steven Gaines seems to have interviewed almost everyone who knew Halston at every point in his life, starting from his high school classmates who noticed how he was driven around town by rich girls in convertibles, on to the fashion-associated who helped him design, market, and sell his clothing, and on to the corporate businessmen who had to work with Halston.
The book has an incredible story of a rags to riches rise and fall. There’s almost unbelievable success in art and in business before a crashing downfall. It’s almost mythical. And the scandal and juicy gossip never stops flowing, along with a cast of the rich and famous. Halston had it all - he was charming, brilliant, debonair - but he also had a lot of personal flaws and with his success those flaws became more and more obvious and more and more out of control until finally it all came crashing down. This book tells that mesmerizing, unforgettable story about a true American original.
Halston’s reach and success peaked in the 1980s, and it is the milieu of Warhol and cocaine and corporate raiders in New York City that provides the most entertaining backdrop to the Halston story. After building a tremendous fashion empire he lost it all in a spectacular downfall that involved over-the-top debauchery, temper tantrums, and an ill-conceived and poorly-executed deal with JCPenney to bring the Halston glamour to the masses.
In a way, you almost can’t go wrong with this story - there are so many varied elements in it that just make for great reading - Halston’s creative genius, his personality quirks, his incredible success, his odd friends. Steven Gaines seems to have interviewed almost everyone who knew Halston at every point in his life, starting from his high school classmates who noticed how he was driven around town by rich girls in convertibles, on to the fashion-associated who helped him design, market, and sell his clothing, and on to the corporate businessmen who had to work with Halston.
The book has an incredible story of a rags to riches rise and fall. There’s almost unbelievable success in art and in business before a crashing downfall. It’s almost mythical. And the scandal and juicy gossip never stops flowing, along with a cast of the rich and famous. Halston had it all - he was charming, brilliant, debonair - but he also had a lot of personal flaws and with his success those flaws became more and more obvious and more and more out of control until finally it all came crashing down. This book tells that mesmerizing, unforgettable story about a true American original.
July 30, 2011
I've had the pleasure of meeting Steven so have read all his books.
February 6, 2017
Just the sort of tell-all book you want to read about Halston. Responsible reporting by gathering info from a lot of sources and makes the business behind running a label interesting.
May 11, 2022
An excellently written biography of a talented but self-destructive creative genius. Sad he left so soon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews