Halston (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990)

Roy Halston Frowick (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990), known as Halston, was an American fashion designer of the 1970s. His long dresses or copies of his style were popular fashion wear in mid-1970s discotheques.

Roy Halston Frowick was born on April 23, 1932 in Des Moines, Iowa, the second son of a Norwegian-American accountant. Roy developed an interest in sewing from his mother, and he began creating hats and altering clothes for his mother and sister as a child. Roy graduated Bosse High School in Evansville, Indiana in 1950, then attended Indiana University for one semester. In 1952, Halston moved to Chicago, where he enrolled in a night course at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and worked as a window dresser at the age of 18.

Halston's first big break came when the Chicago Daily News ran a brief story on his fashionable hats. In 1957, he opened his first shop, the Boulevard Salon, on North Michigan Avenue. It was at this point that he began to use his middle name as his professional moniker. During his childhood he had been referred to as Halston to distinguish between himself and his uncle Roy.

Halston moved to New York City in late 1957, first working for milliner Lilly Daché. Within a year, he had been named co-designer at Daché, became acquainted with several fashion editors and publishers, and left Daché's studio to become head milliner for department store Bergdorf Goodman in their customer milliner salon.

Halston achieved great fame after designing the pillbox hat Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband's 1961 presidential inauguration, and when he moved to designing women's wear, Newsweek dubbed him "the premier fashion designer of all America." His designs were worn by Bianca Jagger, Lauren Hutton, Liza Minnelli, Anjelica Huston, Gene Tierney, Lauren Bacall, Babe Paley, and Elizabeth Taylor, setting a style that would be closely associated with the international jet set of the era.


Evening dress, ca. 1975
This evening caftan is iconic for the period, incorporating many of Halston's design characteristics. The dress is actually one rectangular piece, which simply ties at the neck. Halston had an ability to work with one piece of fabric and it, create flattering and rather complex silhouette. The asymmetrical tie-dye design adds interest to this minimal piece and would be eye-catching when the wearer was in movement.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halston

( Further Readings )

More Fashion Designers at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Art

Louis Falco (August 2, 1942 – March 26, 1993)

Louis Falco (2 August 1942 – 26 March 1993) was an American dancer and choreographer. (P: David Rothenberg (publicity) for Jose Limon Dance Company. Louis Falco, 1969)

Louis Falco was born in New York City of southern Italian immigrant parents. He began his study of dance in the 1950s at The Henry Street Playhouse with Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais. He attended the High School of Performing Arts and as a student began performing with Charles Weidman. In 1960 he began dancing professionally with José Limón, and also appeared with Flower Hujer, Alvin Ailey and Donald McKayle. He danced with the José Limón Dance Company from 1960–70 and danced opposite Rudolph Nureyev in Limon's The Moor's Pavane on Broadway from 1974-75. His farewell performance was with Luciana Savignano at La Scala Opera House in Milan in The Eagle's Nest. Falco was considered an extraordinarily gifted dancer and charismatic performer.

Falco made his debut as a choreographer in 1967. He was one of the first choreographers to experiment with rock bands and other innovations on stage, and he was noted for works created for his Louis Falco Dance Company and for his choreography of the 1980 motion picture Fame. After the explosive success of the film, he began a career in commercial choreography including music videos for a number of MTV artists. The Falco Company's last performance in New York City was for the inauguration of the Joyce Theater in 1982.

Falco completed choreography for several films and commissioned dance works, some of which were never performed in the United States. In 1986, he was recognized for a series of award winning television commercials. He died from AIDS in 1993.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Falco

More LGBT History at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Gay Classics

It Happened Today: March 26

Beauford Delaney (December 30, 1901– March 26, 1979): http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3519805.html

When Beauford Delaney made the portrait of James Baldwin in 1963, his protégé was at the height of his powers. Baldwin's novel, Another Country, was a best-seller, and he had recently published his collection of essays, The Fire Next Time. Delaney had once served as a surrogate "father in art" to the teenaged Baldwin in New York. Baldwin, in turn, was inspired by the older artist's ideas, devotion to his work, and struggles with the challenges of homosexuality, mental illness, and alcoholism.

Cecil Rhodes, Neville Pickering & Leander Starr Jameson: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4272771.html

In 1882 Cecil Rhodes drew up a will leaving his estate to Neville Pickering. Two years later, Pickering suffered a riding accident. Rhodes nursed him faithfully for six weeks, refusing even to answer telegrams concerning his business interests. Pickering died in Rhodes's arms, and at his funeral, Rhodes was said to have wept with fervour. Rhodes also remained close to Leander Starr Jameson. Jameson nursed Rhodes during his final illness and was residuary beneficiary of his will.

Dorothy Porter & Andrea Goldsmith: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4272143.html

Dorothy Featherstone Porter (26 March 1954 – 10 December 2008) was an Australian poet. In 1993 she moved to Melbourne's inner suburbs to be with her partner and fellow writer, Andrea Goldsmith. They lived together until Porter's death in 2008. The couple were coincidentally both shortlisted in the 2003 Miles Franklin Award for literature. In 2009, Porter was posthumously recognised by the website Samesame.com.au as one of the most influential gay and lesbian Australians.

Halston (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990): http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3519114.html

Halston was an American fashion designer of the 1970s. His long dresses or copies of his style were popular fashion wear in mid-1970s discotheques. Halston achieved great fame after designing the pillbox hat Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband's 1961 presidential inauguration, and when he moved to designing women's wear, Newsweek dubbed him "the premier fashion designer of all America." He set a style that would be closely associated with the international jet set of the era.

Louis Falco (August 2, 1942 – March 26, 1993): http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4272449.html

Louis Falco (2 August 1942 – 26 March 1993) was an American dancer and choreographer. Falco made his debut as a choreographer in 1967. He was one of the first choreographers to experiment with rock bands and other innovations on stage, and he was noted for works created for his Louis Falco Dance Company and for his choreography of the 1980 motion picture Fame. The Falco Company's last performance in New York City was for the inauguration of the Joyce Theater in 1982.

Tennessee Williams & Frank Merlo: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/2534699.html

Tennessee Williams was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. Williams met Frank Merlo, a navy veteran, and former lover of the lyricist John Latouche, in Provincetown in 1947 where they spent a night together in the dunes. In the early autumn of 1948 Williams accidentally ran into Merlo in NYC, and by October they were living together. Merlo began the process of weaning the playwright off a toxic dependence on drugs and casual sex. They remained together until Merlo died of lung cancer in 1963.

2014 Rainbow Awards Submission: The Only One Who Matters

Gay Contemporary Romance
The Only One Who Matters by Cat Grant & L.A. Witt
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (March 18, 2014)
Amazon Kindle: The Only One Who Matters

No man—and no heart—left behind.

The Only One, Book 2

Months after a bullet ended his SEAL career, Senior Chief David Flint doesn’t know which is worse: struggling to adjust to life as a civilian, or watching his lover, Lieutenant Commander Josh Walker, leave for one deployment after another.

Missing the career he loved—and knowing all too well the danger Josh faces—doesn’t help. And as Josh walks out the door for another assignment, David can feel their relationship cracking under the strain.

With so little time between assignments, Josh has no idea how to fix things with David. One thing he’s sure of, though…if they don’t find a way to resolve the rising tension between them, there’s a storm coming they might not be able to weather. But he plans to give it his best shot—when he gets home.

Assuming he makes it home alive…

Charities Donation program progress:
25$ YouthCare: www.youthcare.org/
25$ Point Foundation: www.pointfoundation.org/
25$ CARE: careprogram.org/
25$ Lost-n-Found Youth: www.lost-n-found.org/
50$ Wes for Youth: wesforyouth.privacemail.com/
50$ Lambda Legal: www.lambdalegal.org/
83$ COLORS: www.colorsyouth.org/
132$ Galop: www.galop.org.uk/
150$ Cancer Research Institute: www.cancerresearch.org/
160$ UCAN: www.ucanchicago.org/
190$ SAGE: giveto.sageusa.org/
400$ Ali Forney Center: www.aliforneycenter.org/
TOTAL: 1315$*

* more than 150$ is a direct donation from a supporter of the Rainbow Awards who isn't submitting; while some authors were more than generous, arriving to donate 5 times the suggested amount, being the submission fee a non mandatory and voluntary direct donation, we were struggling to raise the same amount as last year and there is who decided to cover part of it. I thank you for all you are doing, and if you wish to donate to the above links, please drop me a note with your donation and I will update the total.

2014 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4162490.html

Blog Tour: Fractured by Mickie B. Ashling

Thank you for inviting me to talk about my latest release. Like the previous novels in this series, Fractured is set in a San Francisco dental clinic. Characters from Impacted and Bonds of Love make guest appearances but Fractured can be read as a stand-alone. My latest dentist is Lance Roberts, new to the Bay Area and hoping to find the perfect sub to complete his Dominant nature. Roque Celdran is a struggling Mexican-American who's just suffered some facial trauma due to an unfortunate encounter at a BDSM club. Neither man expects to find romance in this incongruous setting, but they do. Here's the official blurb and a short excerpt.

Mickie B. Ashling is offering a copy of Fractured to one commenter on this blog. You can comment on LJ or DW if you have an account (I will send a PM to the winner), if you don't have an account, please leave a comment on DW with a contact email.

Fractured (Bay Area Professionals) by Mickie B. Ashling
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press; 1 edition (March 23, 2014)
Amazon Kindle: Fractured (Bay Area Professionals

Roque “Ro” Celdran dreams of a better life, far away from the hand-to-mouth existence of his migrant worker family. He moves to San Francisco to study Landscape Design but finds himself short of cash. Tony, Ro’s identical twin, comes up with a plan to help Ro make ends meet. The BDSM club Tony frequents is looking for gay men to act as submissives to the Dommes-in-training. Ro reluctantly takes the job and falls headfirst into a world he neither understands nor desires.

Lance Roberts is the new doctor at the dental practice started by Scott Gregory and Robin Kennedy. On the surface, he seems to have it all: the Mensa IQ, blond and blue-eyed good looks, and the determination to make it in his competitive field. Underneath lies a frustrated Dom in search of the perfect sub who can handle his obsessive behavior and debilitating need for control.

When Ro ends up in Lance’s dental chair, the last thing either one expects is a physical and mental connection. Ro’s attraction to “White Bread” never pans out, and Lance’s weakness for Latinos always leads to a dead end. Could this time be different? What happens between the two alphas leads to a lot of soul-searching and some surprising conclusions.

( Excerpt )

Bio: Mickie B. Ashling is the alter-ego of a multifaceted woman raised by a single mother who preferred reading over other forms of entertainment. She found a kindred spirit in her oldest child and encouraged her with a steady supply of dog-eared paperbacks. Romance was the preferred genre, and historical romances topped her favorites list.

By the time Mickie discovered her own talent for writing, real life had intruded, and the business of earning a living and raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing and the inevitable emptying nest, dreams were resurrected, and the storyteller was reborn.

She stumbled into the world of men who love men in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from their ongoing struggle to find equality and happiness in this oftentimes skewed and intolerant world. Her award-winning novels have been called "gut wrenching, daring, and thought provoking." She admits to being an angst queen and making her men work damn hard for their happy endings.

Mickie loves to travel and has lived in the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East but currently resides in a suburb outside Chicago.

Fractured is now available in paperback or e-book format here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_76

You can contact Mickie at mickie.ashling@gmail.com or leave a comment on her website at http://mickieashling.com or her blog http://mickiebashling.blogspot.com.