Gordon Kendall
Spoiler: Global Style Never Left. Have A Look At When Modern International Glamour Really Started In Texas
By Gordon Kendall
We all know one. At least one. Or, perhaps, dozens upon dozens. That Texas Lady.
She graces the pages of this fine digital platform, a steel magnolia in silk charmeuse, our go-to authority on what’s right, wrong, and socially catastrophic when it comes to fashion. She can tell you precisely what qualifies as “luncheon jewelry” (“Verdura? Perfect. Webb? Darling, those big stones bang against the china.”) and she says it with the confidence of someone who’s lived through more society galas than most of us have had hot dinners.
It should shock no one, then, to learn that this is the same lady who has, wait for it, a ball gown closet. Not a “rack,” not a “section,” not even a “room.” A closet. To walk through it is like wandering backstage at the Miss Texas pageant finale, minus the Misses. The real talent portion is the artistry in every gown, many of them designed by the genius whose name we utter today: Nolan Miller.
And behind every gown? Not just a designer, but a story.
Recently, our senior editor, Gordon Kendall, found himself in the rare position of listening in, as one we would never name, to a Dallas “fashionite” who shopped her own couture archive, this time looking for a holiday party ensemble. The quips flew faster than a Dynasty catfight as she plucked treasures from their padded hangers.
“That dress? That was the best thing about that wedding,” she said of a beaded Miller explosion in black tulle, drenched in silver and gold sequins, crowned with a single flower at the left shoulder. “The couple was divorced by the time it came back from the cleaners!”
She breezed past several frocks from parties past, stopping at a strapless beaded number the size of a modest tea towel. “One sneeze, and that dress, and my reputation, would have been history.”
Then came the metallic lamé avalanche. Out tumbled not just the fabric but the memory of Nolan Miller himself, his gowns, his era, his understanding of drama and entrance-making.
“You walk with your shoulders,” she declared. “Nolan knew that. You don’t just come into a room in his gowns, you enter. Bronze lamé for the tan, turquoise trim for the pop, serious glamour, darling!”
Another Miller creation floated by, its sleeves like diaphanous wings, as if they could lift her right back to the 1980s, the decade of Nolan Miller’s reign.
From Burkburnett To Beverly Hills
Scene One: Burkburnett, Texas, 1933. The Great Depression. Oil rigs. Dust. A young Nolan Miller found his escape at the movies, dazzled by the likes of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, and declared, in the fifth grade no less, that his destiny was to “design gorgeous costumes for gorgeous stars.”
After high school, he worked in Texas and Louisiana oil fields until art school in California called. But Miller’s script took a Hollywood twist when he was discovered, while working in a Los Angeles florist shop, by fellow native Texan and television mogul, Aaron Spelling.
A Television Fashion Empire Is Built
Spelling was the ringmaster of 1970s and ’80s television glam. With shows like Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, and most famously, Dynasty, he understood the power of clothes to define a character, and he gave Miller a designer’s dream: budgets, trust, and the mandate that no lead actress ever be seen in the same outfit twice. For Dynasty, that meant $35,000 per week (approximately $125,000 in 2025 dollars) for costumes alone.
The result? Joan Collins’ Alexis Colby became a pop-culture icon in razor-sharp shoulders, jewel tones, and a wardrobe that could conquer boardrooms and boudoirs alike. Linda Evans’ Krystle Carrington floated in silks and chiffons that managed to look as soft as her voice, but just as steely when the plot called for it.
Miller didn’t just design for TV; he designed for television intended as cinema. He read scripts, envisioned how a character should look in each scene, and made women look “glamorous and beautiful,” in his own words, and it was his lifelong mission.
Beyond Dynasty
Miller’s talent didn’t stop with Spelling’s empire. He dressed Elizabeth Taylor for Malice in Wonderland (earning an Emmy nomination), crafted the opulent wardrobe for The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, and even created Ginger’s shimmering sheath dresses on Gilligan’s Island. From desert islands to Denver penthouses, Miller had a way of making clothes part of the plot.
In his later years, he reached a new audience via QVC, selling costume jewelry and accessible fashion that brought a bit of his Dynasty dazzle to everyday women. His line became a bestseller, proving that the Nolan Miller brand of glamour had legs well beyond prime time.
When Nolan Miller passed away in 2012 at the age of 79, he left behind not just a body of work but a style vocabulary: the strong shoulder, the unapologetic sparkle, and the entrance-making gown. His influence is still visible today, in the red-carpet revivals of lamé and sequins, in the resurgence of power suits, and in every designer who dares to say that drama still belongs in the wardrobe.
A Legacy Without A Sequel
Back in Dallas, our hostess-for-the-afternoon finally collapsed into her chaise longue, surrounded by a shimmering battalion of Miller gowns.
“We had fun then,” she sighed, smiling at the memory of a time when one dressed not just to be seen, but to be remembered. “And leave it to a Texan,” she added, “to make sure we looked incredible while having the best time ever.”
The Nolan Miller Fashion Timeline
From West Texas oil fields to TV’s Couture King
1933 – Born in Burkburnett, Texas
A small-town boy with big-screen dreams, Nolan Miller’s early life was far removed from the glamour he would one day create.
1940s – Discovers the movies
In grade school, Miller becomes enthralled by old-Hollywood films, declaring he will one day “design gorgeous costumes for gorgeous stars.”
1950s – Oil fields to art school
After working in Texas and Louisiana oil fields, Miller moves to California and attends the Chouinard Art Institute (later merged into CalArts).
1960s – Hollywood beginnings
While working in a Los Angeles florist shop, Miller meets television producer Aaron Spelling—an encounter that changes his life.
1970s – Building a résumé
Designs for shows including Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, and Hart to Hart, honing his flair for glamour and character-driven style.
1981 – Dynasty debut
Miller becomes the costume designer for Dynasty, transforming Joan Collins, Linda Evans, and the rest of the cast into pop culture fashion icons. Weekly wardrobe budget: $35,000.
1984 – Emmy win
Wins the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series (Dynasty).
1985–1987 – More Emmy nods
Earns additional nominations for Malice in Wonderland (Elizabeth Taylor) and The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (Ann-Margret and Claudette Colbert).
1990s – The Nolan Miller Collection
Launches on QVC, offering affordable versions of his signature jewelry and gowns to a national audience.
2000s – Retirement and legacy
Miller continues to appear on QVC while enjoying semi-retirement, his designs still worn on red carpets and television.
2012 – Farewell to a fashion legend
Passes away at age 79, leaving behind a legacy of unapologetic glamour, sharp shoulders, and unforgettable entrances.
