Haire, Bill

Bill Martin Haire, (1936-1995), a product of the Fashion Institute of Technology, was an American designer first of evening wear and then, clean line sportswear. He married fellow designer Hazel Keleher in 1955. Bill was an assistant designer at Sam Friedlander, Inc., then designed evening wear in chiffons, satins and loads of beading for Victoria Royal, Ltd., from 1959 – 1974. He joined Hazel in 1975, designing sportswear for Friedricks Sport. Hazel Haire had worked at a series of houses, including Anita Modes, B.H. Wragge, Anne Klein Studio, and Beenebag for Geoffrey Beene before she was brought in to design for Friedricks Sport in 1973. This was a new division of the coat house Harry Friedricks founded in the 1920s. The Haires were publicized as the ‘Designing Couple’, sharing the creative work first at their own label, Haire Design studio (started 1970), and then at Friedricks Sport. The couple separated in 1981 and Bill formed Bill Haire Ltd., a designer sportswear house that was quickly successful. He was nominated for a Coty Fashion Critics Award in 1983, but the label was short-lived and closed in 1985. Haire continued working with Hazel through the Haire Design Studio, freelance designing for a number of fashion companies, and teaching in Italy.

Written by Hollis Jenkins-Evans