Classic Comeback

L.A.'S HALSTON ATELIER OPENS ITS DOORS

FOR DETAILS, SEE CREDITS PAGE

Halston, the iconic American designer of the 1970s, didn't much care for Los Angeles. He was probably too busy with Bianca and Liza and the New York party boys to pay California any mind. But that doesn't mean Los Angeles didn't like him. "I can't tell you how many people come up to me here and say that they have mint vintage Halston gowns in their closets," says Bradley Bayou, the latest designer to helm the brand. If Halston were alive today, there's little doubt he would have come to understand the appeal of the West Coast. After all, he was the first Stateside designer superstar.

His reputation as a handsome and irresistibly louche character nearly eclipsed his strikingly simple gowns, which defined the languorous sexuality of the 70s. He spun that libido-charged momentum out into a whopping 37 licenses, slapping his name on everything from fragrance

to home furnishings. Roy Halston Frowick was self-invented. He was a Des Moines, Iowa, export who attended the Art Institute of Chicago, moved in 1958 to New York City, where he designed millinery and clothing for the venerable Bergdorf Goodman, and ended up making a name for himself by dolling up and doting on celebrities. He knew how to make anyone look glamorous. He courted stars more than he did the fashion press in order to promote his brand, and he lived by the credo "You're only as good as the people you dress."

In short, he was exactly the kind of guy L.A. loves.

Later this month, Bayou will rev up sexy, sophisticated recollections of Halston's legacy with the opening of the new Halston boutique in Beverly Hills. "This is the future," he xplains, gesturing toward the Hollywood Hills above Sunset Boulevard through the picture window in the showroom. "This is the place to be, more so than ver. We are the entertainment capital of the world, and fashion is definitely entertainment. It makes sense."

CHRISTINE LENNON SHEA