It seems there may be life in Halston yet. The company’s latest chairman and chief executive officer Ben Malka says he’s committed to relaunching the Halston runway line next year. In the interim he plans to focus on the Heritage line abandoned by Sarah Jessica Parker.
Malka seems a better choice on paper than Halston’s previous heads Harvey Weinstein and Sarah Jessica Parker. While they were making their name in the film industry he spent more than a decade as BCBG Max Azria’s president. He’d intended to retire but the opportunity to lead a Halston revival proved too tempting.
“There were maybe two or three brands that could pull me out of retirement, and this was one,” he explained. “But it had to be all about the way I run it. No outside interference.“
Halston’s finances have been an issue in the past, but Malka says that won’t be a problem this time around. He claims the firm is “very well-funded,” both by himself and his business partners, Hilco and a silent investor. “The amount is enough for us to screw up for a long time,” he assures the label’s fans. That insurance policy may come in handy, because Halston has seemed cursed in recent decades. Hopefully even if it stumbles a little, Malka can give it the time it needs to get on stable footing.
Money’s one thing, but it’s no good if the designs don’t impress. However as Malka’s lured BCBG’s chief creative officer Marie Mazelis over to Halston, he might have the creative side covered too.
That’s not the only movement. Malka’s moving the Halston Heritage headquarters to Los Angeles, while the signature line will remain in New York. He said he wants a strong differentiation between the brands, and that physical separation should aid that. So should the prices. Most items in the Halston Heritage line will cost between $50 and $500, with high end items tipping $2500. However the signature line will have some items selling for as much as $10,000. Ouch!
Are you set for another Halston revival?
