“I have a vision," says Halston. "I’m going to change the face of American fashion."
Halston is the new Netflix limited series from executive producer Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) which follows the eponymous fashion designer known, played here by Golden Globe-winning actor Ewan McGregor, and is based on the biography Simply Halston by journalist Steven Haines.
Charting his rise from a rising star hat-maker in the 1960s to fashion titan in the 1970s to the self-destructive artist in the 1980s, Halston demonstrates how the designer executed his vision for women’s fashion but also became engulfed by his own media and cultural persona amid the hedonism of the Studio 54 era.
McGregor offers a wonderfully charismatic and emotionally rich turn as Halston, capturing an insecure, arrogant, self-centred, forward-thinking, and contradictory figure with aplomb. As the actor gets sometimes criminally overlooked for his film work in recent years, hopefully, this television role will once again gain him some deserved recognition after his previous acclaimed work on Fargo.
The Scottish actor receives some able support from other cast members. Rebecca Dayan is luminous as Halston’s friend, model and illustrious jewellery designer Elsa Peretti, while David Pittu is a welcome grounded presence as his long-term fashion illustrator and collaborator Joe Eula.
Independence Day star Bill Pullman sadly has little strong material as the businessman who helps Halston grow his fashion career.
Another actor and character who doesn't get his dues are Sullivan Jones as Ed Austin, an early love interest of Halston's who comes in for some disrespect but we don't get to see much reaction on his part or comment on Halston's problematic behaviour.
However, the two other standout performances come from two different loves of Halston's life. Krysta Rodriguez is charismatic, energetic and light-hearted as Halston’s muse, best friend and showbiz legend Liza Minnelli. The Broadway star aces the musical numbers as the iconic singer-actress too and also shows great chemistry with McGregor.
Meanwhile, Gian Franco Rodriguez takes what could be a one-note role as Halston’s on-off boyfriend, artist and former escort Victor Hugo (not the Les Miserables author!), who proves both an antagonistic, lively, and yet sympathetic presence amid the designer’s growing arrogance.
There’s also a memorable guest turn for Vera Farmiga as a perfume specialist in the third episode who turns into something of a quasi-therapist for Halston as he looks to take what will be a big step in his career.
Considering the show is Halston, it shouldn’t be surprising that all of the supporting cast do feel like extensions of the lead character with little interior lives of their own, but it feels like something of a missed opportunity as the moments where the other members of the ensemble get to shine briefly away from the lead's orbit offer a real chance at some greater depth and feel less like a formulaic biopic stretched into a limited series format.
Thankfully the series does capture some of the decadence, glamour and grit of the era, particularly in the more outlandish Studio 54 scenes where ample time is spent on Halston’s substance abuse and sex life - both of which contribute to his subsequent career troubles.
Importantly, what really does come across is the wasted potential of a true visionary who helped put American fashion on the map but who suffered as a result of poor business decisions, a life of excess and finally the tragedy of the AIDS crisis.
The final episode itself does feel somewhat rushed too, with some relationships not receiving the detail they deserve and whether the show should examine the impact of AIDS on Halston’s world remains to be debated - particularly considering its harsh impact on those in Halston’s world.
The show makes a clear choice to focus on the designer’s artistry in its final scenes which does feel appropriate, and while it breezes through some historical events in its final hour, the last moments pack some emotional wallop.
While often such series can be criticised for dragging events out for the sake of an episode count, this one really does feel like it could have benefited from further attention to the rest of its ensemble and some further detail added to relationships and character arcs.
In comparison to other Murphy projects, it most resembles the themes and style of The Assassination of Gianni Versace : American Crime Story - but inevitably without the true crime element and a lack of psychological texture that that series provided
Yet with magnetic performances, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, there is more than enough here to intrigue and excite viewers and spark renewed interest in a fashion titan.
Halston may not change the face of Netflix's limited series but it is almost certainly a vision.
Verdict
Halston is an ideal star vehicle for Ewan McGregor to turn in a textured performance as a fashion icon and while it is a mostly successful biographical portrait, the series does not entirely meet the heights reached by its lead star.
Halston is available now on Netflix.
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