Juul Haalmeyer Bio

Feathers, sequins, beads, and mylar: the makings of a classic Haalmeyer design. Worn in the White House, on The Muppet Show and selected for permanent display in the Anne Murray Centre in Springhill, Nova Scotia -- Juul Haalmeyer made his mark as a costume designer during the golden age of Canadian television. From Phyllis Diller to Jethro Tull and Shari Lewis to Vincent Price – the Emmy award winning designer is has personally dressed them all. He calls himself a “poor man’s Bob Mackie”, though what he managed to pull off within the limited Canadian budgetary constraints of his time speak to his incredible talent and vision. Formally untrained but theatrical by nature, Juul forged his way into the Canadian film and television industry with perseverance, a vision, and a glue gun.

Best known for his work on SCTV and CODCO (including his on-screen roles as the inept leader of SCTV’s “Juul Haalmeyer Dancers), Juul began his career in 1969 after answering an advertisement in the Toronto Star, looking for a shipper to send wardrobe to opera houses across North America. Making himself useful, after three days he was promoted to Apprentice uner Michael Schilder, head of Men's Costume. He quickly rose through the ranks and by his early twenties was supervising Malabar’s Opera department under his manager and mentor, Luigi Specca. They would continue to collaborative partnership throughout Juul’s career.

His first break as a costume designer began on the iconic Pig & Whistle Variety show, completing 66 episodes between 1971-74. At the same time he keyed on the ABC /CTV Rollin’ on the River Variety Series with Kenny Rogers, where he dressed multiple guest celebrities including Ike and Tina and Dolly Parton . This began Juul’s run on multiple American-Canadian variety show co-productions including the ½ George Kirby Comedy Hour, The Bobby Vinton Show and The Julie Show. While on staff at CFTO he also designed multiple iconic Canadian kids’ shows whose visuals are burned into our collective nostalgic memories: Kidstuff, Razzle Dazzle, Monkey Bars, and Read All About It, among them. Around the time he began working on Alice Cooper’s Welcome To My Nightmare Special (it would continue to play on CityTV for two decades), he put his keen comedic wit to work as designer on the David Steinberg show where he worked began dressing John Candy, Martin Short and Joe Flaherty. In addition to comedy and variety, Juul also worked on dozens of dramas and movies-of-the week including Norman Corwin Presents, Bridge to Silence with Lee Remick and Marlee Matlin, and the Blue Hotel among others.

Twice nominated for an Emmy, Juul took it home in 1999 for his work with Jayne Eastwood on the PBX/BBC/TVO show Noddy and Friends. Though he continued providing original designs for figure skaters Brian Orser and Katerina Witt among others, Juul moved from original costume design to vintage rentals for film & tv in the early 00’s due to health issues. “Homemade Tarts” is alive and well, operating out of his Camden Street shop and packed to the gills with original vintage. In recent years Fargo Seasons 2 & 3, The Baroness von Sketch Show, Murdoch Mysteries and Frankie Drake have relied on Juul’s keen eye and massive collection. As condo developments loom, Haalmeyer’s rolling racks stand firm, sprawled over two floors and 3,500 feet in Toronto’s original “fashion district.”

Over a 45 year career, celebrity clients themselves write of Juul’s sense of humour and his astute ability to translate performers’ own visions to life – all augmented by Haalmeyer’s own signature stamp. Martin Short, Andrea Martin and Anne Murray have each taken the time to speak to Juul’s talent in their personal autobiographies. As Short writes of Juul’s work as SCTV’s designer, “Juul Haalmeyer… was almost like another comedy writer. I could say to him, ‘Jackie [Rodgers Junior] should be Vegas-y but *low* Vegas-y, bordering on Reno,” and he’d intuitively get it, without any rigmarole.” Glitz and glam aside, his comedic sensibilities are what has set him apart from other designers of his day. Juul Haalmeyer knows how to translate wit into wardrobe.

Juul Haalmeyer Bio

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