Fragrance house

Halston

Roy Halston Frowick expanded the HALSTON label from millinery into clothing in 1966 and established Halston Ltd. in 1968. His design identity centered on pared-down, fluid American clothing, using materials such as jersey, cashmere, and ultrasuede in garments including jumpsuits, shirtdresses, and caftans. During the 1970s, Halston’s public identity was closely associated with celebrity clients, the Halstonettes, and New York’s Studio 54 scene. In 1973, Norton Simon Inc. acquired the business, design services, and name and trademark while Halston continued as designer. A 1982 agreement with J.C. Penney broadened the label into a mass-market setting; by 1984, Halston had lost control of his company, and the clothing line ceased in 1990. In 2019, Xcel Brands acquired the Halston and Halston Heritage trademarks, consolidating ownership of the Halston trademarks under Xcel. By 2025, Xcel wholly owned the Halston brands. The signature Halston fragrance launched in 1975 and received the Fragrance Foundation’s 1976 Fragrance of the Year award in the women’s prestige category. Its Elsa Peretti-designed teardrop bottle is part of the fragrance’s identity.