Roy Halston was a famous American fashion designer. In the 1970s he gained international fame for his iconic designs. Halston was the first designer to license himself as a brand selling his products internationally. As of 2021, Roy Halston's net worth was estimated to be approximately $100 million until his death on March 26, 1990.
Halston’s biography was recently featured as a miniseries on Netflix. The streaming miniseries aired on May 14, 2021.
| Full Name | Roy Halston Frowick |
| Birth Date | April 23, 1932 |
| Birth Place | Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
| Died | March 26, 1990 |
| Profession | Fashion Designer |
| Boyfriend | Victor Hugo |
| Net Worth | $100 million |
Early life
Roy Halston was born on April 23, 1932 in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. His parents are James Edward Frowick and Holly May. His father, James Edward, was a Norwegian-American accountant and his mother, Hallie, was a homemaker. Halston became interested in sewing after seeing his grandmother working on his clothes.
He used to make hats and even sew clothes for his mother and sister. Roy attended Benjamin Bosse High School and graduated in 1950. He later moved to Indiana University where he studied for a time. His interest in his art led him to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Roy Halston Net Worth and Career
Halston opened a store called Boulevard Salon on North Michigan Avenue in 1957. In late 1957 he moved to New York and began working for the milliner Lilly Dash. Less than a year later, he was promoted to code designer at Dache. However, after a while he left the Dache workshop and started working as a cleaner at the Bergdorf Goodman department store.
Roy gained early recognition after developing the pillbox hat in 1961. The hat was worn by John F. Kennedy’s wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, during her husband’s presidential inauguration. Halston began designing clothes after the fashion for hats fell out of fashion. In 1968 he opened his first boutique on Madison Avenue.
Shortly after, in 1969, he created his first ready-to-wear line, Halston Limited. The simple, sophisticated and glamorous design of it has become very famous in a short time. He mainly used soft and luxurious fabrics for his designs. Holston managed to attract the attention of famous artists such as Babe Paley, Greta Garbo, Gene Tierney, Elizabeth Taylor, Margot Hemingway and Blanca Jagger. From 1968 to 1973 she managed to collect 30 million dollars.
Halston expanded his business into men’s clothing, bags, luggage, bedding and underwear in the 1970s. He had favorite models such as Pat Cleveland, Anjelica Houston, Elsa Peretti, Alva Chinn, Beverly Johnson, Karen Bjornson, nicknamed “The Halstonettes”. Tulli.
In 1977, Halston was commissioned to design a new look for flight attendants at Braniff International Airways. He gave them a unique design by creating distinctive H logos on slim brown uniforms.
Then in 1983, Roy signed a six-year license agreement with distributor JC Penny. The deal was worth a billion dollars. In doing so, he launched a new line consisting of affordable clothing, cosmetics, accessories and perfumes. He tried to offer his fashion items for as low as $24 to $200. But he provoked an opposite reaction to his image in high-end fashion stores.
The Halston III line has been devastating to his career as it has been poorly received. The line was even finished and his company Halston Limited was later acquired by Esmark Inc. In 1983, Halston began to lose control of the company. In 1984, the creation of unique designs for Halston Enterprises was banned altogether.
The company was later acquired by Revlon in 1986 and remains part of the company. However, he was discouraged from designing clothes for the company.
Roy Halston’s personal life
Roy Halston had an ongoing relationship with the Venezuelan artist Victor Hugo. When they met, they both worked as makeup artists. Halston even hired Hugo as a window dresser and they lived in Halston’s house. They have been a couple for more than 10 years. Later, it is said that he was in a relationship with fashion designer Luis Estevez.
Holston died on March 26, 1990 from complications of an AIDS-defining illness. He tested positive for HIV in 1988 and breathed his last at Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center.
Roy Halston net worth
Roy Halston had an estimated net worth of $100 million before his death. He has amassed a huge fortune through his iconic clothing lines with unique designs.