228. Halston; movie review

HALSTON
Cert 12A
105 mins

BBFC advice: Contains  infrequent strong language, drug references, discrimination references

Just when I think I have seen every biopic it is possible to eke out of the 60s, 70s and 80s fashion industry, along comes another.
Andy Warhol said that his favourite dinner company would be Elizabeth Taylor on one side and Halston on the other.
Roy Halston Frowick only used his middle name and became so big in fashion that his company took over the giant Olympic Tower in New York City.
But his fall from this great height was even more dramatic than his rise, as Frédéric Tcheng's film evidences.
I love movies which combine footage of the past with current narrative and I am even more enamoured when the 60s are the subject.
Style oozes from this film, be it from clothes, architecture or the music but glamour comes at a price and Halston's wave, like any other, had to crash sooner or later.

The movie follows his career from small beginnings to the height of New York cool.
But with his success came a false sense of indestructibility which was, ultimately, his undoing both professionally and personally.
Tcheng's movie is a reflection of the boundary-pushing 60s when those with imagination and a propensity of hard work and harder partying were feted.
It meant that those of humble backgrounds such as Halston's could bludgeon their way to the top.
However, there was also the danger of falling as fast as they rose and the second half of this biopic is dedicated to Halston's fall from popularity.
It also highlights how cut-throat the world of retail became during the 70s and the 'greed is good' decade of the 80s.
Halston adds another layer to a story which has been well documented in movie releases over the past decade.
I have to say that none of them has been dull and, in common with most, this is a fascinating and well-crafted biopic.

Reasons to watch: Fascinating and well-crafted biopic
Reasons to avoid: The overpowering world of fashion

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The Halston name is his legacy in the fashion world. Halston Heritage is carried by some of the world’s most formidable retailers including Neiman Marcus and, ironically, Bergdorf Goodman which dropped it after the deal with JC Penney.

The final word. Pat Cleveland: “Halston could just throw a dress down, cut it on the bias, and make you look like a slim dolly. It made you feel like a Grecian goddess. It was just wonderful what he could do to a lady to make her feel good."

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