Career as a costume designer began when Marc Chagall asked him to help paint costumes for the New York City Ballet's 1949 production of "The Firebird", staged by George Balanchine.
He accompanied Julie Harris for the 2005 Kennedy Center Honors for Washington D.C. where she wore a Taylor dress. He was a favorite designer of Julie Harris and Katharine Helpburn.
He is survived by his nephew, Marshall C. Taylor Jr.
He served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II.
He dropped out of school at 16 years old to work in the theater in New York City. He lived in Paris, France for two years from 1920 to 1922.