HALSTON
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C Z GUEST
Flip through the "inspiration" file that every designer keeps, and at some point you will find a picture of C.Z. Guest. Debutante, showgirl (briefly), model (painted nude by Diego Rivera), socialite, gardener, intimate of artists and writers; Guest had the kind of life that seems fiction, and the perfect patrician looks to illustrate it. She wore her designer clothes with thoroughbred elegance, keeping to simple lines, rich fabrics, and soft colors to suit her cool complexion. But perhaps what drew creative types to her most was Guest's down-to-earth personality, exemplified by her recent advice to would-be gardeners visiting her web site, "The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have a good time."
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"You're only as good as the people you dress," Halston once said, and no one took that advice to heart more than the iconic seventies designer himself. Bianca Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Jackie Kennedy, and Elizabeth Taylor were all fans of his sleek gowns and breezy caftans, often appearing arm in arm with the man responsible for their outfits. His original models—Karen Bjornson, Pat Cleveland, and Anjelica Huston among them—were so loyal that André Leon Talley devised a moniker for them, the Halstonettes, creating an official fan club for the designer born Roy Halston Frowick in Des Moines.
The languid jet-set glamour of Halston's designs—his clothes were perfect for poolside lounging or dancing at Studio 54—has long since become part of the fashion lexicon, and the latest revival is imminent. Marc Jacobs followed the clingy jersey shirtdresses and slim jumpsuits he showed for Fall with feather-light tunics for Resort; Bob Colacello's new book of late-seventies/early-eighties snapshots, Out, is set to reintroduce many of the era's key players to a new generation of club kids; and, last but not least, of course, there is the Weinstein Company's recent acquisition of the Halston label itself. They may not allow guests to enter on white horses at The Box, but the designer's brand of seventies glam lives on.