Hadley was born in Springfield, Tennessee, in 1920 and he worked at an early age as an assistant to one of the SOuth’s best-known decorators, A. Herbert Rodgers.
After serving in World War II, Hadley decided to move to New York where he studied at the Parsons School of Design, integrating the school’s faculty after graduating. He formed his own studio, to be hired later by McMillen, Inc., the city’s oldest design firm. In 1962 he co-founded with a fellow McMillen alum, Sister Parish, Parish-Hadley Associates, a famous design house and hive of new young designers.
Hadley’s clients to design their homes included: Paley couple, Gore couple, De la Renta Couple, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis or members of Rockefeller, Astor and Getty families.
Hadley made a name for matching glamour and functionality. He was known as “The dean of American decorators”. He worked in a variety of styles, including Vistorian and Georgian, but he was famous for his modern style, which incorporated a mix of design styles thanks to his sense of balance.
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