Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston

This week I went along to a screening on the Halston documentary with the Handpicked Media gang… and what a treat it was.

First things first, the screening was at One Aldwych which a glorious old building. Whenever I visit a nice hotel for week my immediate reaction is to Wikipedia its entire history, just in case Wallis Simpson stayed there or it had anything to do with anyone fun in the 1920s. Although One Aldwych was built by the same team responsible for the Ritz, it was used as newspaper offices – so no roaring tales to tell alas. I can tell you that it houses a great bar though, and the private cinema downstairs is brill – popcorn, champagne and brilliant canapes… I’m easily pleased.

But on to the film.

Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston sees the be-wigged and slightly insane Whitney Smith trace the history of 70s design guru, Halston. At times it verges on being the Whitney show – his interview skills are horrendous and his pimp glasses take some of the edge of the poignant subject matter, but he is pretty entertaining and he does a decent job of rounding up some amazing subjects to speak to.

Halston was the king of New York in the era of Studio 54 and while the documentary covers a lot of his sordid socialising, it also celebrates the fact that he was a total master of design in an era when American fashion was utterly lacking in anything particularly inspiring. He created Jackie O’s signature pill-box hat, Liza Minnelli’s sequinned stage gear and uniforms for the Girl Scouts of America and was also the first designer to licence his name out to discount retailers.

All this, and he was also BFF with Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger and hosted some utterly hardcore parties at his dreams-ville house.

It’s not the most educational fashion documentary I’ve ever seen but if you’re into disco, the Studio 54 scene, Liza Minnelli and all-out glamorous, American design then there’s something for you. Likewise, if you want to see Andre Leon Talley deliver some of the most painful put-downs in fashion, catch up with DuPont twins or see Pat Cleveland losing it slightly, you’ll also get your money’s worth.

Weirdly, it’s straight to DVD in the UK. It’s only £9 and it comes with my double thumbs-up.