7 Surprising Ways Halston Changed Interior Design Forever

Netflix’s Halston series has fashion and design aficionados obsessed—for the clothes and glamorous 1970s scene, of course, but also for the pitch-perfect recreations of Halston’s homes and ateliers. If the show’s sets feel authentic, it is in large part due to the extensive research director Daniel Minahan did into his trendsetting subject, who is played in the series with perfect hauteur by Ewan McGregor.

A former journalist turned director and writer (his credits include I Shot Andy Warhol and episodes of Deadwood and Game of Thrones), Minahan spent 20 years trying to get his pet project off the ground. During that time, he visited all of Halston’s former homes and offices and interviewed every eyewitness he could find—including Paul Rudolph, the modernist architect behind Halston’s midcentury townhouse on East 63rd Street, the setting for his legendary parties, where he is said to have served caviar, baked potatoes, and cocaine to friends like Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol, and Elizabeth Taylor.

For Halston, designing the perfect backdrop was essential to the allure of his brand. We asked Minahan about Halston’s flair for decor, which he recreated—alongside Oscar-winning production designer Mark Ricker—for the show’s sets.