Miller was born at Burkburnett, Texas in 1933. He was the fourth of five children born to William and Marie Miller.[2] Nolan later stated, "When I was about in the 5th or the 6th grade I made up my mind I fell in love with movies and I thought I want to design gorgeous costumes for gorgeous stars and it was my lifelong ambition. I never wanted anything else. I never changed".[3] He worked in the oil fields of Texas and Louisiana after high school. His family moved at least twice before settling in San Bernardino, California. He studied design at the Chouinard Art Institute, now the California Institute of the Arts. Unable to find work in the entertainment industry, he worked in a florist shop in Beverly Hills, where he met Aaron Spelling, who hired Miller to design clothes for the film, thus initiating Miller's career creating fashion for the stars.[3][4]
Nolan had battled lung cancer for several years. He announced his retirement on July 4, 2011 on QVC.[9] Friend and actress Joan Collins broke the news that Miller had died in his sleep in Woodland Hills, California on June 6, 2012; he was 79 years old.[1][4] He was predeceased by his ex-wife, Sandra Stream Miller, who died in November 2011; they had no children.