Halston Star Krysta Rodriguez Paid Homage to Liza Minnelli at the Show’s Premiere

The highly anticipated trailer for Ryan Murphy’s Halston doesn’t disappoint. The series, dropping on Netflix on May 14, will chronicle the rise and fall of the iconic American designer, portrayed by Ewan McGregor, and the teaser delivered us plenty of drama and fabulous fashion to look forward to. Many of those fabulous costumes will be displayed on Krysta Rodriguez, who plays Halston’s close friend and muse Liza Minnelli. Rodriguez tells Vogue that she learned much about the designer and his fascinating world while being a part of the project. “I knew about Halston as a designer, but I didn’t necessarily know the reign he had in the fashion industry,” says Rodriguez. “For a solid two decades, he was fashion. He was integral to putting American fashion on the map, and making people take it seriously.”

Stepping into an iconic role like Minnelli was no easy feat for Rodriguez, but she couldn’t imagine a more inspiring character to take on. “One of the things I respect so much about her was she was a feminist, and was very in touch with her body and her messiness,” says Rodriguez. “That was something that wasn’t really seen at that time. You watch her performances, and she’s not worried about how perfect she looks—she wants to get that guttural emotion across.” Of course, she also enjoyed playing dress up in some of Minnelli’s most iconic looks on the show, including those she wore to Studio 54. “It was fun to see how accurate we can get,” says Rodriguez. “We would look at reference photos and it was like putting together the most elaborate Halloween costume.” 

One of her favorite fashion moments is one seen in the first episode. “Halston and Liza meet each other, and he just starts draping fabric on her body,” she says. “Ewan went through intense training to figure out how the draping process works, and it resulted in the best dress that I’ve ever seen on my body—and it just came out of a single bolt of fabric and a couple pins!” 

Celebrating the show’s virtual premiere from home in New York, she wore two glamorous looks that nodded to her on-screen character. “Once we found out [the premiere] was virtual, it kind of let us do whatever we wanted, which was really exciting,” says Rodriguez. Up first, a dramatic Giambattista Valli Haute Couture dress, complete with a giant shoulder bow and 15-foot train. “Luckily, my apartment could fit it,” says Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez switched into a black sequined Greta Constantine dress with ruffled sleeves for the “after party,” when she invited a few friends over. “As soon as I put it on, I felt like a budding flower,” says Rodriguez. “It really felt like modern Liza: super modern, but still glitzy and glamorous.” She and her glam team also nodded to Liza with ’60s-style hair and makeup for both looks. “I had little gems under my eyes, and we just decided to go for it—because why not?”

Below, an exclusive look at Rodriguez’s premiere night.