Image courtesy of thecut.com
Legendary fashion editor, author, and television personality André Leon Talley died Tuesday evening in White Plains, NY. Recognized as one of the most influential African Americans in fashion for several decades, Talley was known was his impeccable style, glittering wit and wealth of knowledge about the fashion industry.
Born in Washington, DC in 1948, Talley spent his youth in Durham, NC in the care of his grandmother. Talley graduated from North Carolina Central University, a historical black college, located in Durham, NC. Later Talley received a Masters’ Degree in French Literature and History from Brown University.
After interning with the legendary Diana Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute, Talley worked at Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. After Interview magazine, Talley worked for WWD office in Paris where he capitalized on his friendships with Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. And from those connections he was able to secure a highly coveted editorial management position at Paris Vogue, making him one of the few black editors at a Conde Nast publication.
Image courtesy of newyorktimes.com
Though known for his ebullient style and crackling wit, at times Talley felt very isolated as one of the few influential black editors in fashion. His consistent front row seat next to Anna Wintour at some of the top fashion shows did not the soft the snide comments and racial taunts that Talley experienced.
There were “many in that industry who really did love André for his talent,” explained Reverend Calvin Butts, pastor of Abyssinia Baptist Church, in a newyorktimes.com article. “It was also the case, he added, that “there were others who exploited his talent and used it to their advantage,” who “never really gave him respect as a man and were condescending.”
And there were many who accused Talley of not doing enough to help black models and black designers while he held auspicious positions at Vogue. In his bio The Chiffon Trenches, Talley expressed his frustration at how his attempts to promote black fashion industry professionals were thwarted.
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As Talley’s fashion commentary went out of style and the fashion industry embraced a more youth-oriented fashion aesthetic, Tally lost some of his influence in the industry, turning to television as his next fashion chapter. For a few seasons, Talley was a judge of “America’s Next Top Model.”
With the publication of his bio The Chiffon Trenches, Talley fell out of favor with long-time friend and mentor, Anna Wintour and Conde Nast. In his last years, Talley continued to suffer from health issues due to his excessive weight gain and financial struggles. André Leon Talley was 73 years old.
—William S. Gooch
