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Remembering Dynasty costume designer Nolan Miller

By Laura Smith June 14, 2012

Before Patricia Field ever introduced Fifth Avenue fashions to the cable-watching masses, Nolan Miller was shaping the way America dressed with his over the top glamorous fashions on the TV show, Dynasty. With a career spanning over 40 years, Miller succumbed to lung cancer earlier this month on June 6, at the age of 79.

The Emmy-winning iconic costume designer pretty much invented the term "power dressing", with his strong-shouldered suits, and elaborate dresses. Having grown up idolizing the styles of screen legends, Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, he eventually got his start in the biz as Crawford's personal tailor, where we're sure he eschewed the use of wire hangers while working in her employ.

As Aaron Spelling's, "secret weapon", Miller designed over 3,000 outfits for Dynasty, turning Joan Collins into a fashion icon and shaping the style of the decade in the process. He continued to work with Collins years after Dynasty went off the air, and created signature looks for Spelling's other shows like The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and  Charlie's Angels. No doubt, his sequined creations will end up at the Met Costume Institute someday.

TAGS: 80's, Costume Design, Death, Fashion, Sitcoms, TV,

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