Sad news today of the death of Nolan Miller, at the age of 79.
Many may ask - who? But Mr Miller is very dear to all our hearts, as the man who dressed Joan Collins and all the ultra-glamorous ladies of Dynasty, thereby setting a high-camp, hi-gloss, big-shouldered, power-dressing look for an entire generation of sophisticated (and not-so-sophisticated) women during the 80s.
Apparently taking his direct inspiration from the even more formidable Joan Crawford (for whom he was couturier for twenty years), his Alexis Colby Carrington Dexter "look" won him an Emmy in 1984. "I always put Joan Collins in gloves on Dynasty," Mr Miller famously said.
He specialised in costume design for many a glossy Aaron Spelling series including Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat and Hotel, and it is rumoured he wanted to be another Adrian - the 1940s designer whose gowns put the glamour into Hollywood. For Elizabeth Taylor's guest spot on Hotel, Mr Miller spent more than double his $15,000 budget for guest stars to dress her alone.
His roll-call of customers encompasses just about every star in the Hollywood firmament - Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner, Sophia Loren, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis among them. He designed a forest-green sequinned gown for Susan Hayward, a close friend, to wear as a presenter at the 1974 Academy Awards. She was terminally ill and died less than a year later. She was buried in the gown, according to her wishes. "When she got to heaven," he recalled her saying, "she wanted to look like a star."
With Nolan Miller's death, the whole world is a lot less glamorous...
Nolan Miller obituary in the New York Times
Nolan Miller interview from 2003
Nolan Miller's Dynasty designs slideshow
His work epitomized a certain part of the 80s.
ReplyDeleteSome of us are still wearing that "look" to this day...Jx
DeleteHe was a genius - sad to see him go! RIP
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