Halston:A legend that deserves better

A new documentary recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and from what we have read an incredible opportunity was missed.

Ultrasuede:In search of Halston

Eric Gaskins of The Huffinton Post reviews the documentary by Whitney Sudler-Smith,which we paraphrase here.

As children of the 70's ,Halston,to us ,was the first truly American designer.
The one who defined an era.
Halston moved to New York in 1957.First working for milliner Lilly Dache,where he became co-designer shortly there after.Soon after leaving Dache ,he became head milliner for Bergdorf Goodman where he soon became acquainted with fashion editors and publishers.In 1961,Halston achieved great fame after designing the now famous "Pill Box" hat worn by Mrs.Jacqueline Kennedy for the inauguration of her husband.
As Liza Minnelli so rightfully advises the director ,in Mr. Gaskins piece, he needed to search out the story of Halston and not the gossipy lurid stories of the 70's and Studio 54.

His designs were worn by Bianca Jagger, Lauren Bacall,Babe Paley and Elizabeth Taylor,setting a style that would be closely associated with the international set of that era. As Mr. Ralph Ricci recalls in the film,Halston could cut into a bolt of silk chiffon and in one fell swoop,cut out a bias dress that fit the body perfectly.
Halston had the ability,he recalls,of creating shapes using only one seam or spiral seams,and was able to make dresses and gowns that would"cleave" to the body in the most sensual way.
Halston was a true American designer,who designed American fashion for all women of that deliciously decadent era.
From what we understand it is truly unfortunate,as quotes Mr.Gaskins, that this"director" who didn't even know of Diana Vreeland(!), seemed to be so clueless to the fact ,that this was a true American story,where in the unbound 70's, the creative, gay elite,ruled all things related to style,fashion and the arts.
new york style(link)

We were saddened to read, that this film focused on exactly on what Ms. Minnelli cautioned the director about.
The most shocking and shameful disrespect shown Halston,in this documentary
Mr.Gaskin recalls was
by Georgette Mosbacher the owner of Borghese.When Borghese bought Halston, she received the bulk of his archives.
A 30 year career,which came in about 60 boxes and countless garment bags.Mountains of technical information,patterns,sketches were,
instead of being sent to a museum like the Metropolitain, were dumped in an unlocked closet off of a classroom at the Lipscomb Bible College.

A great opportunity has been missed.
It is our sincerest hope that Halston,the designer as well as the man, will one day, get the appropriate tribute he so rightly deserves.
If not from Hollywood and Sara Jessica Parker,than from the fashion world,
who more often than not are often viewed as,the author suggests,
"no more than gorgons that chews up and spits out all that come within it's reach" .