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1489757
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Ford, Betty - Fashion - Designers - Halston
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1489757
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document
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Ford, Betty - Fashion - Designers - Halston
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Sheila R. Weidenfeld Files (Ford Administration)
Sheila Weidenfeld's General Subject Files
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President (1974-1977 : Ford). Office of the First Lady. 1974-1977
Clothing and dress
Fashion
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1489757
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1975-11-30
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11
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1975
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1975-06-01
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6
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1975
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The original documents are located in Box 38, folder "Ford, Betty - Fashion - Designers -
Halston" of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Some items in this folder were not digitized because it contains copyrighted
materials. Please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library for access to
these materials.
4
EW YORK Halston has achieved the Impossible American Dream.
N
He is the U.S. designer who has most successfully combined business
with fashion, money and prestige. He is unique in this country.
In Europe, possibly only Dior and Cardin have built such solid busi-
Enterprising
ness structures.
Just seven years ago, 43-year-old Halston made the switch from custom
millinery to ready-to-wear. Then in 1973, the Norton Simon empire acquired
Halston in a deal that sources put at about $11 to $12 million. Today, Halston
"I have a very healthy wholesale business, which is probably the most
WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1975
Enterprises, Inc., which is operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the giant
profitable better dress business on SA today, so they say. Also I have many
conglomerate, has over a dozen divisions.
franchises.
It's what every designer dreams about:
"My perfume was the most successful launch in perfume history. It didn't
Your own store; your own custom salon - dressing some of the country's
open up until last March, in really troubled times. Yet, in the first three
most fashionable women and superstars of films and stage; your own whole-
months of business, we did $1,500,000. Bloomingdale's did $40,000 worth of
sale ready-to-wear operation - dressing Ms. America; separate firms mak-
business in the first week. And that's good. It's been so successful, we're going
ing your own labeled luggage, perfume, furs, men's wear, separates, rain-
into the men's fragrance business for fall '76, which we're starting to develop
wear, wigs, millinery; plus your own patterns (Halston's are for McCall's);
right now. Then, we're adding other products to my perfume line for a com-
your own bed linens (Fieldcrest); becoming the official designer for the U.S.
plete collection. It takes a long time to do that.
Olympic team; and doing theatrical costumes (for the recent Martha Graham
ballet, "Lucifer").
'M
y men's wear collection is very extensive, and it has been most success-
But what is Halston's "plus" that has made all these business ventures not
ful, we expect the volume will be in the $3-million range.
only possible, but also profitable?
"Then, David Mahoney, Norton Simon chairman and president, asked me
There's no doubt the experience, exposure and education he received at
if I would like to do the official Olympic uniforms. I said I'd love to. I didn't re-
Bergdorf Goodman in the late-'50s to the mid-'60s started him on his way to
alize, at the time, what an enormous business this adds up to. Montgomery
fame. As the store's designer of custom millinery, in a time when every fash-
Ward physically makes the uniforms and gives them to the 1,400 to 1,500 dif-
ionable woman wore a hat, Halston became a big name. And it was here he got
ferent performers. It is a major contribution. And through that donation,
his introduction to ready-to-wear, since Bergdorf's was the biggest American
Montgomery Ward is able to merchandise the Olympic uniforms minus the in-
buyer of the European couture. Each season, BG would buy about 200 models
signias. It's always the same designs in the same fabrics, as the Olympic
and Halston would buy about the same number of millinery originals. This
ones, merchandised in three or four different colors, sold through the catalog
way, he got to see and know every major designer's work in France, Italy,
and I get a percent.
England and Spain. He not only knew their work, but learned how it prog-
"It has really turned out to be a huge project. It involves three separate
ressed from season to season.
collections, including the Pan-Am Games this summer in Sao Paolo, the win-
At Bergdorf's, he was involved with the store's large custom workroom,
ter games in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria, and the summer games of '76 in Mon-
which turned out the furs, made-to-order clothes and millinery. It was one of
treal. This means doing every single thing a player wears - a parade uni-
the largest ateliers in the world. Here he learned how to cope with a demand-
form, dress uniform, a rain outfit, a leisure outfit, even his luggage. Just an
ing business consisting of 150 milliners, 12 sales women and six assistants.
idea of the scope of this project is the leisure outfit for members: It must be
Most importantly, he established contact with private clients, and he got to
able to take them out to have a hamburger on the corner and still look right if
know what they needed, what they liked and they got to know him - Jackie O,
they go to a black-tie party at night. It's also a very difficult job because of all
when she was first lady, Babe Paley, Jane Englehard, Marella Agnelli,
the figure problems involved. You have very short persons doing gymnastics,
Brooke Aster, Doris Duke, Nan Kempner and lots more of the BP and CP.
very heavy persons who are weight-lifters, plus very tall athletes who play
basketball. The Olympic team is also made up of persons of all ages, not just
ut don't get the idea that Halston's success just happened. He worked at it
young ones. It's a major effort."
B
and worked very hard. "You just don't get a group of chic clients; you de-
Then, he quickly ticks off other projects.
velop them," he says. "You don't just get a Norton Simon to buy your five-
"Our fur business with A.C. Bang, a very substantial fur company, has
year-old business; you produce all the time."
been very successful.
As Halston sees it:
"I have a loungewear business with Dorian. It is basically robes and at-
"I've done the impossible American dream for a designer. I have an up-
home-wear things. I didn't want it to be what most of the industry does -
town custom business where I can do a major order on the most luxurious lev-
clothes to be worn out. This is basically robes, hostess-type dressing, a couple
el for any woman in America. I've dressed the who's-who of the fashion world.
of pajamas and that kind of thing. Very simple. It has been very successful.
"I have my own store downstairs, because I found I really wasn't repre-
"Then we have a new division called 'Halston Five' with Manhattan In-
sented properly in the other stores. I wanted the customer to see what I was
dustries. It's something I've wanted to do for years. It's basically shirts and
blouses
with
a
doing. Remember, I opened my own store. which is unheard of
Digitized from Box 38 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Fashion Show
Women viewers who keep up with the jet set know
who Halston is and will undoubtedly be glued to their
sets tomorrow morning (WRC-4 at 9) when "Take It
From Here' pre empts "Not For Women Only, to
present a special one-hour show saluting the collection
Halston has designed for U.S. athletes to wear in the
upcoming winter and summer olympics. It's the first
show in Washington for the designer who did many of
Jacqueline Kennedy's clothes
who & Disconau 20 at and memory . MOV
C-5.
POP: Jerry Gargia and his fine guitar. Page C-6.
Itash Star 11/3/75
Fashion.
Halston
WELL, COULD YOU JUST TOSS US A
CAVIAR SPUD?
The folks who
bring you "Take It From Here" on WRC-
TV are just mad with excitement over
the Halston fashion show and luncheon
they' tossing next week for the Big H's
Jash. 10/24/75 Star
said he did it for his image. A friend beg-
ged to know what a cheap knock-off
The
Ear
could possibly do for his image. "$10,000
worth of image I can afford," he said,
"$50,000 worth, I can't." Ear drives a
Toyota knock-off.
favorite Washington customers. Oatsie
Charles will be there, and Eugenia Shep-
EAR'S NOSE
.
Irene (pronounce it
pard, and Mrs. Averell Harriman and
I-REE-NEE, please) Worth, the ac-
Baroness Van Aerssen and Nicole
Sorry, dears, if Halston didn't put you on
and old novels by Vina del Mar. Ear will
tress, claims she can't act at all unless
'Amecourt and maybe even Betty Ford,
his list, you're out.
be happy to send its "Too Dull" file.
she's wearing a scent she finds' compat-
who wore a Halston the night she had a
date with Woody Allen Ridgewell's will
CHECK THE LIFEPOATS
AND $40 000 T EET OVER FOR A NEW
ible with the character she's playing.
ucnt