The woman playing Renee (the Studio 54 wannabe who ends up dying in its' air ducts) is Sophie von Haselberg who is the real life daughter of Bette Midler who was a frequent attendee of the famous night club in its heyday.
Twenty three minutes in as wealthy businessman David Mahoney (Bill Pullman) and wife Bobbi (Shannan Wilson) are dining at home, she brings up the prospect of purchasing a yacht, adding that she'd heard about the lifestyle from friend Blaine Trump over lunch. Blaine was the sister-in-law of former US President Donald Trump through her marriage to his younger brother Robert Trump.
At one point in the episode, Halston is seen glancing furtively at a newspaper article reporting on the ravages of a then new phenomenon, AIDS, afflicting the gay community in San Francisco.
In 1983, Halston signed a six-year licensing deal worth a reported $1 billion with retail chain J. C. Penney. The line, called Halston III, consisted of affordable clothing, accessories, cosmetics and perfumes ranging from $24 to $200. At the time, the move was considered controversial, as no other high-end designer had ever licensed their designs to a mid-priced chain retail store. While Halston was excited about the deal and felt that it would only expand his brand, the deal damaged his image with high-end fashion retailers who felt that his name had been "cheapened".