Elsa Peretti Steals the Show in Netflix's Halston Series

Netflix’s new five-part series Halston, the newest show from prolific TV producer Ryan Murphy—the man behind Nip/Tuck, Glee and American Horror Story—chronicles the life of legendary fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick.

Halston’s slinky gowns and sharp day dresses made a huge impact on fashion in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But Halston isn't the only fashion legend portrayed in the series. His contemporary, the famous jewellery designer Elsa Peretti also steals the show.

Alongside Ewan McGregor who plays the titular main character, the ensemble also shines. The cast of characters you may recognise include portrayals of iconic artist Andy Warhol, illustrator Joe Eula, dance legend Martha Graham, diva Liza Minnelli, and his crowd of model-muses that included Pat Cleveland, Anjelica Huston, and future jewellery legend Peretti.

Peretti, who died earlier this year at the age of eighty, started her career as a model for Halston’s fashion house. She grew close with the designer and eventually became a co-creator. Her unique sculptural jewellery was designed to complement his clothing collections, and she was the eye behind the teardrop-shaped bottle that housed Halston’s first fragrance.

Elsa Peretti In Netflix’s Halston

In Halston, Peretti is played by French model/actress/artist Rebecca Dayan, who is divinely lithesome in the role. One pivotal scene early in the series shows Peretti wandering a flea market and finding the simple necklace that inspired one of her first and most important designs—the Bottle Jug Pendant.

Another scene shows her walking the beach collecting shells for inspiration for Halston’s famously imperfect glass perfume bottle and directing a glassblower to create the finished product.

Of course, her jewellery appears throughout the series—the bone cuff, the Scorpion necklace, the sculptural equestrian belt buckles, the mesh bra, silver rings designs and her Diamonds By The Yard. The pieces on the show are mostly authentic pieces borrowed from Tiffany & Co., where Peretti worked for many years. She designed many of Tiffany & Co.’s most iconic pieces, including fluid cuffs, heart motifs and the bean design pendant.

Halston’s estate (he passed away in 1990 after a battle with AIDS) considers the series entirely unauthorised, so there is some question about how accurate certain scenes are. However, one thing that has been accurately depicted is the way that, as Halston’s career crumbled, Peretti’s star rose.

While she’s not a central character, there’s no doubt that Peretti—and her stunning jewellery—steal the show. Her journey from Halston’s muse to a visionary in her own right is enticing, as well as visually stunning.
“The series also shows how Halston really believed in Elsa, pushed her to design and to push herself,” Dayan told Vogue.

“Some have said that had Halston been straight, she would have been his great love. Their relationship was intense and competitive and, at the same time, they needed each other’s attention and validation. I think it’s great that our show shows her as this equal creative force.

“I think she deserves her own show.”

All five episodes of Halston are on Netflix now, and reviews so far have been rave.

Sound interesting? Learn more about Halston’s Netflix series, here.