Roy Halston Frowick, known throughout fashion circles as Halston, was a notable designer in the latter part of the 20th century.
Though it might not be widely known, Halston was also once a Hoosier.
Kate Rowold, tenured professor with the School of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design, said Halston spent about a semester at IU before attending the School of the Art
Institute of Chicago.
The Grunwald Gallery will celebrate the work of Halston during its upcoming show, “Halston: Line and Legacy.”
The exhibition at the gallery begins Aug. 28.
Accompanying lectures will occur throughout the month of September.
Rowold is curator of the Sage Collection in the department of apparel merchandising, where many 1970s Halston originals are kept.
Rowold said Halston’s IU connection and his significance in fashion history make this exhibit an important one to see.
“I’ve realized while doing this exhibition that most people that are college age don’t really know who Halston was,” Rowold said. “The opinion of many fashion historians is that his
designs in the 1970s really led the way for fashion change in the U.S.”
At the end of last year, Rowold said, Lesley Frowick, one of Halston’s nieces with whom he was quite close, wrote a book about the designer titled, “Halston: Inventing
American Fashion.”
Rowold said Frowick, also an IU alumna, agreed to visit campus.
She will give a lecture and sign copies of her book Sept. 11.
Her visit led to the idea of the Halston exhibition.
Halston’s work, as Rowold described it, is “minimal, clean and simple,” and his designs decorated the 1970s discotheque scene.
Rowold added that Halston is credited with originating some trends that have since reemerged in the fashion world.
“He was one of the first people to make jumpsuits fashionable, and that’s been pretty important trend-wise this year,” Rowold said. “He was also one of the first designers to make ultrasuede fashionable.”
As part of the speaker series, Rowold will give a talk at 4 p.m. Sept. 8.
The lecture, called “Dressing Disco: Fashion in the Age of Halston,” will take place in the Whittenberger Auditorium.
Halston was also a leader in the business side of the fashion industry,
Rowold said.
“His designs and his name were bought by a large corporate conglomerate, and that was really the first time that an entire design house with the design services and trademark were bought by a corporate conglomerate,” Rowold said.
After the conglomerate made a deal with retailer JCPenney, Halston’s designer identity was compromised beyond repair.
“Today, that kind of arrangement is very common, designers rely on that concept to survive,” Rowold said. “It was brand new for Halston, and it ended badly for him — he was actually unable to use his own name to design clothes. It’s a lesson in the history of fashion and business over the last 40 years.”
Rowold said she wants to ensure students and fashion minds alike do not soon forget Halston’s contributions to style.
“I’m most excited to give students who didn’t know Halston an opportunity to see this work and how it is reflected in today’s fashion,” Rowold said.
Lesley Frowick’s lecture will take place at 5 p.m. Sept. 11.
Information on the other events associated with the exhibition can be found at the Sage Collection’s
website.
