Penn State Great Valley will host a film screening and panel discussion of “Halston” on Tuesday, January 23, at 7:00 pm.
MALVERN, Pa. — Penn State Great Valley will host a film screening and panel discussion of “Halston” on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 7 pm. The event is free to attend, but advance registration is required.
Arguably the first American celebrity fashion designer, Roy Halston Frowick, known by the single moniker Halston, created the sexy-flowing look that defined the 1970s. Directed by Frédéric Tcheng (“Dior and I”; “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel”) and produced by Roland Ballester (“MerPeople”), “Halston” weaves a partially scripted format with rare archival footage and intimate interviews — including Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol, and Joel Schumacher — to create a textured, behind-the-scenes look at the famed designer’s life and the friction between his artistic talents and business pressures.
Following the film screening, Great Valley will host a discussion with Ballester, Halston’s niece Lesley Frowick, and models Karen Bjornson and Alva Chinn.
Roland Ballester produced "Halston," as well as 2023's "MerPeople" and other works.
Ballester also originated and produced the 2023 Netflix documentary-series “MerPeople” and worked on “The U Part 2” for ESPN’s 30 for 30 series. His next documentary about hummingbird rehabbers will be released this year, and he is developing a scripted film and television series.
Lesley Frowick is Halston's niece and has worked to honor his legacy in a number of ways.
Frowick, founder of The Halston Archives, recently established the non-profit scholarship initiative With Love Halston for design students at major fashion institutes. She wrote “Halston: Inventing American Fashion,” co-curated the Halston & Warhol/Silver & Suede traveling exhibit and served as curator of “Halston Style” at the Nassau County Museum of Art.
Karen Bjornson became one of Halston's muses when she was 18 and spent the next 19 years modeling.
Bjornson’s career began at age 18 in 1970 when she became Halston’s muse. She appeared in advertisements, commercials and runway shows until 1989, when she stopped modeling to become a stay-at-home mother. In 2002, she returned to modelling on the runway and print work until retiring in 2018.
Alva Chinn has worked with Halston and many other designers and photographers throughout her career.
Chinn has worked with numerous designers and photographers in her career, appearing in “Vogue,” “Elle,” “Marie Claire” and more. In September 2023, she walked in the Pierre Cardin show in Paris, making her the only model at Versailles 73 to walk for all 10 designers.
