Halston and I

When does a synthetic fabric surpass a natural one?  Years ago you wouldn't have even asked that  question because of the simple fact that they didn't!  Today is quite a different story.  It seems that during the seventies many synthetic fabrics came into their own and possessed the same tactile quality and look of natural skins and fabrics.  One of the best examples is Ultrasuede.  When you hear that word many fashionistas in the know, associate it with Halston.  He  put it on the map, and the luxurious beauty of the fabric was seen in many of his collections, ranging from tops to coats, dresses, pants etc.  The fabric had the look and  feel of the softest suede, and came in a rainbow of colors...... no wonder he flipped when he first saw it!  As luxurious as it was, it was also easy to care for and could even be washed!       Lets face it........polyester has come a long way!!  Once looked upon with disdain by the fashionable.......polyester, along with a host of othe

What is the mark of a great designer? Is it his or her ability to constantly set trends or come up with something new, no matter if it is really wearable? Well, to me the mark of great design is timelessness. When a garment transcends time and can be worn in any year....whether its from the 30's 50's or 70's.......in this respect you would have to say that Halston was indeed a truly great designer. Here for example are some pictures of his black and red cashmere cape, note the fluid lines....and what made his different from anything Bill, Calvin or Oscar would have done is the cut. Notice the picture of the cape laid out flat and you'll see that the opening is cut like a keyhole and not just simply slit up the center, this simple fact gives the cape a dramatic flow and fluidity. These are just some of the things that set his clothes high above his peers. Think how great this cape would look day or night and how dashing a woman would look and feel while stridi

Well it seems that fall has arrived with winter right behind it! I just thought I do some desperately needed updating on my blog......I can't believe that I've neglected it for so long! I was quite involved with my Yahoo 360 page, and was doing all of my fashion posting there, but they've since done away with them and left something that is sorely lacking in substance!! I couldn't figure out how to post pictures of my sketches, things are so screwed up! So from henceforth, this will be my prime source of my ideas and discussions on fashion and of course the greatest American designer ever........Halston!! Now I really must confess to you all that I'm a terrible procrastinator...and that fact has seriously hindered my creative processes, but I'm really working very hard on overcoming that. Well I finished a cotton gauze shirt last month and brought it up to the store in spite of the fact that the summer season was over. What the hell.......maybe someone wi