Albert in his New York apartment
A 1960's sitting room by Albert Hadley
A letter about me from Albert !I certainly do have Mr. Albert Livingston Hadley, Jr. at the top of my "Dean's List" and my "A" list ! Wit, style, erudition, and humour are words that could be used to describe him. Also magic, mercurial, mysterious, and artistic... When I received this beautifully written letter from dear Albert, I thought I had been annointed by the gods. Known in the media as the "Dean of the Decorating World" Albert has had a career that has been stellar and continues to this day. He is forever youthful and fresh in his outlook. Point of view is what he wants to know about... do you have one ? He is a mannerist, an iconoclast, and a wonderful friend. There is always a sense of infinite possibility when spending time with him, and we have had a lot of fun sharing drinks, ideas, and knowledge. Van Day Truex taught Albert at Parsons, and since by the time I arrived in New York in 1980, the Parsons faculty had left and moved to FIT, I was so very lucky to have the benefit of their expertise and energy. Stanley Barrows was my chairman and one of my professors...FIT was the place to be... Albert came one day and gave us a talk, accompanied by my former classmate, Tice Alexander, and he spoke about beauty in a way that you knew it was a serious subject. He also emphasized history and point of view, as well as the importance of having a design vocabulary. Later, when he was wintering in Naples, he told me something I'll always remember. "You must be passionate in your head, your heart, and your gut !" (paraphrase) What better advice could there possibly be ? DF ***** copyright Dean Farris 2010
