Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1381808
14 THE COSTUME DESIGNER | SUMMER 2021 ow do costume designers portray iconic, reallife personalities especially those trendsetters whose rise and fall has been chronicled with breathless detail in tab loid press, evening news, and fashion bibles With a mix of trepidation, fascination, and fearlessness Intensive research is key. n one hand, because ce lebrities have every inch of their lives scrutinized, the information is easy to fi nd. Conversely, the burden of accuracy is sky high. abid fashion insid ers are ready to pounce on every inaccuracy and decry every incorrect fabric, design, or seam. The pressure is real. We spoke to eriana San uan, who euipped wan Mcregor to inhabit the persona of the king of sev enties fashion chic in alston, as seen through the eyes of creator yan Murphy for Net ix. Murphy has had this series bubbling for over years. San uan was drawn to the project as she idolized alston both as a designer and creative who used fashion as his art. alston's in uence is pervasive. is work has touched everyone's lives and many designers have been inspired by him Tom ord and Michael ors most notably. e was the fi rst American designer to brand his name and create a worldwide fashion empire, including fragrance and licensing deals. e democratized women's fashion reaching beyond the usual audience of runway models, Park Avenue princesses, and ladies who lunch. is designs were forwardthinking and mod ern. alston was the arbiter of delicious simplicity. San uan chose to contrast his sleek world with the frenetic patterns people were wearing at the time. alston's inner circle was eually ubiuitous in the press. San uan says she found the process of recre ating real, renowned personalities versus fi ctional H y f C s life g d y A • Roy H• Fr i- n reor s ston Pho to: er n n un hotos Halston et i