Parish-Hadley Associates

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Dorothy "Sister" Parish born Dorothy May Kinnicutt in Morristown, New Jersey. Sister is a nickname given to her by her three brothers. She graduated from the Foxcroft School for Girls, an elite Virginia boarding school. She began her career in 1933. It was the year of the "Crash" and financial necessity prompted her to set up shop, "Mrs. Henry Parish II Interiors", in Far Hills, New Jersey, where she began decorating houses for friends. She had no formal training but attributes her taste and instinct for quality to European travel, exposure to art, and, most of all to her upbringing. Alone, and then together with her partner, Albert Hadley, who joined the firm in 1962, she has decorated houses of every size and kind throughout the world. It is said that she represents the "undecorated" look; Vogue magazine calls her "the most famous of all living American women interior designers whose ideas have influenced life-styles all over America."

Sister Parish--grande dame of American decor--shaped the American domestic aesthetic of various Kennedys, Astors, Paleys, and Whitneys. Parish-Hadley was the upper-crust New York firm formed by Mrs. Parish and the Tennessee-born decorator Albert Hadley.

Mr. Hadley, a graduate of and former teacher at Parsons School of Design in both New York and Paris, established his own design firm before joining McMillen, Inc. He began his legendary association with Mrs. Henry Parish II in 1962, when they co-founded the distinguished design firm of Parish-Hadley Associates, which grew to encompass 25 associates and staff members.

Described by The New York Times as "the most illustrious American decorating team of the 20th century," Parish-Hadley's client register includes names of the Kennedys, Rockefellers, Astors, Gettys, Whitneys and Vanderbilts. Parish's cozy, yet dignified style, combined with Hadley's Modernism and attention to architectural space, has led to Parish-Hadley's constant surviving achievement.

The partnership lasted until the death of Sister Parish in 1994. After closing Parish-Hadley in late 1999, Hadley opened a new office and continues collaborating with clients toward his goal to "help them realize more than they thought possible within the framework of their own tastes." His impressive roster of distinguished clients includes former Vice President and Mrs. Albert Gore, Diane Sawyer and Mike Nichols, former Ambassador and Mrs. Henry Grunwald and Mrs. Vincent Astor.

From the description of Parish-Hadley Associates, Inc. collection, [196-]-1994. (Smithsonian Institution Libraries). WorldCat record id: 51867391

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Parish-Hadley Associates. Parish-Hadley Associates, Inc. collection, [196-]-1994. Smithsonian Institution. Libraries
referencedIn Hadley, Albert. Albert Hadley papers, 1947-1999. New School for Social Research
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Andrew, Prince, Duke of York, 1960- person
associatedWith Astor, Brooke. person
associatedWith Astor, Vincent, 1891-1959. person
associatedWith Baldwin, Billy. person
associatedWith Bank of New York. corporateBody
associatedWith Brown, Eleanor McMillen. person
associatedWith Cameron, Libby. person
associatedWith Chinsee, George. person
associatedWith Cooper-Hewitt Design Archive. corporateBody
associatedWith Gracie Mansion (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Hadley, Albert. person
associatedWith Hager, Gary. person
associatedWith Kleinberg, David. person
associatedWith Kwiatkowski, Henryk. person
associatedWith Lenox Hill Neighborhood Association. corporateBody
associatedWith McMahon, David. person
associatedWith McMillen Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Mellon, Constance A. person
associatedWith Mellon, Paul, Mrs. person
associatedWith National Newark & Essex Bank (N.J.) corporateBody
associatedWith Northern Trust Bank. corporateBody
associatedWith Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1994. person
associatedWith Paine Webber Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Parish, Henry, II, Mrs. person
associatedWith Parsons School of Design. corporateBody
associatedWith Ritz-Carlton Hotels (Firm) corporateBody
associatedWith Rockefeller, Happy. person
associatedWith Sarah, Duchess of York, 1959- person
associatedWith White House (Washington, D.C.) corporateBody
associatedWith Whitney, Betsey Cushing Roosevelt, 1908-1998. person
associatedWith Williams, Bunny, 1944- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Subject
Interior decoration
Occupation
Activity
Interior designers

Corporate Body

Active 0196

Active 1994

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SNAC ID: 64889191