1932-1990

Roy Halston Frowick was born in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, on 23rd April 1932. He attended the University of Indiana and the Chicago Institute. While still studying, he was designing and selling hats.

In 1953, he opened a millinery salon in a Chicago hotel, where his clientele included film actresses Gloria Swanson and Deborah Kerr. He trained briefly with Charles James, the great fashion designer. In 1958, he joined LILLY DACHE in New York, moving shortly after to the millinery salon of Bergdorf Goodman's New York department store.

Halston designed hats for Jacqueline Kennedy including a beige felt pillbox that was widely copied. She wore many pillbox hats with the dresses which Oleg Cassini designed for her. The picture on the right shows the hat worn at her husband's inauguration in 1961.

On the left, is a VOGUE cover from August 1962 showing a Halston cire turban made for Bergdorf Goodman.

On the right is the first NEWSWEEK cover, in August 1972, showing model Karen Bjornson wearing an Ultrasuede hat.

Halston went on to become America's premier designer, but he never forgot his millinery skills, and hats were always his first love. You can read all about his career, by clicking Halston

2005