REST IN PEACE

Legendary Dynasty Designer Nolan Miller Dead At 79

If you’re old enough to have seen Krystal and Alexis thrash around in the reflecting pool then you’ll probably shed a sequin tear over the news that Nolan Miller, the designer who slapped reams of taffeta and sky-high shoulder pads on the ladies of Dynasty, died of lung cancer on Wednesday. He was 79.

Miller’s iconic ensembles helped define the show’s ridiculously opulent aesthetic—and set the standard for fashion for much of the 1980s.

With a weekly wardrobe budget of $35,000, Mr. Miller designed some 3,000 outfits for “Dynasty,” which was on the air from 1981 to 1989.

“I never want to see them wearing the same outfit twice,” he said.

Though forever linked to that nighttime soap, Miller also designed costumes for dozens of movies and TV shows, including Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, Gilligan’s Island and The Addams Family. (He designed Morticia’s infamous shroudlike black gown.)

He also dressed Golden Age divas like Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Crawford, the model for wicked Alexis Carrington’s vampy style. Alexis herself, Joan Collins, tweeted about his passing: “My dear friend Nolan Miller died peacefully in his sleep last night. He was a huge part of my life and I will miss him terribly. Rest now NM.”

Below, some of Miller’s Dynasty designs:

 

 

Photos: ABC

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