André Leon Talley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids André Leon Talley
Talley at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	(1948-10-16)October 16, 1948 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	January 18, 2022(2022-01-18) (aged 73) White Plains, New York, U.S.
Education	North Carolina Central University (BA) Brown University (MA)
Occupation	Fashion journalist
Years active	1974–2022

André Leon Talley (October 16, 1948 – January 18, 2022) was an American fashion journalist, stylist, and creative director. He was a very important person at Vogue magazine. He worked there as the fashion news director from 1983 to 1987. Then he became the first African-American male creative director from 1988 to 1995. Later, he was an editor-at-large from 1998 to 2013.

Many people saw him as a fashion icon. He was known for helping new designers and pushing for more different kinds of people in the fashion world. His special look included capes, kaftans, and robes. These became his famous trademark style. Talley also helped judge America's Next Top Model for several seasons.

He wrote three books, including The Chiffon Trenches, which became a best-seller. He also worked for other famous magazines like Interview, Women's Wear Daily, and The New York Times. He even styled clothes for former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. He also styled Melania Trump for her wedding in 2005.

In 2020, France gave him a special award for his work in arts and letters. The next year, he received the North Carolina Award for literature. He was also in documentaries like The First Monday in May and The September Issue. A film called The Gospel According to André was made about his life.

Early Life and Education

André Leon Talley was born on October 16, 1948, in Washington, D.C. His parents left him to be raised by his grandmother, Binnie Francis Davis. She worked as a cleaning lady at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Talley said his grandmother taught him about "luxury." He missed her very much after she passed away.

He grew up in the Jim Crow era South. This was a time when laws kept Black and white people separate. He said his grandmother did not let white people into their home, except for the coroner. His love for fashion started early. His grandmother helped him, and he found Vogue magazine at a library when he was about nine or ten years old.

Talley went to Hillside High School and finished in 1966. He then studied at North Carolina Central University. He earned a degree in French literature in 1970. He won a scholarship to Brown University. There, he got a master's degree in French literature in 1972. He first planned to teach French.

Career

In 1974, Talley got an unpaid internship with Diana Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was very impressed by his skills. The Vogue editor helped him get a job with Andy Warhol at his famous Factory and Interview magazine. He earned $50 a week.

He then wrote for Women's Wear Daily and became its Paris head from 1975 to 1980. He also worked for The New York Times and Ebony. Finally, he joined Vogue. He was the fashion news director from 1983 to 1987. Later, he became the magazine's first African-American male creative director from 1988 to 1995.

He strongly encouraged top designers to use more Black models in their shows. In 1984, he wrote a book called MegaStar with Richard Bernstein. It featured portraits of famous people. He left his creative director role at Vogue in 1995 to work for W in Paris. But he kept working as a contributing editor for Vogue. In 1998, he came back to Vogue as editor-at-large. He stayed in this role until 2013.

In 2003, he wrote his life story called A.L.T.: A Memoir. The book shared that "Style goes beyond race, social class, and time." Two years later, he wrote A.L.T. 365+. This book had photos and notes from one year of Talley's life.

In 2008, Talley gave fashion advice to the Obama family. He also styled Michelle Obama for her first Vogue magazine cover. He introduced her to designer Jason Wu, who made several dresses for the First Lady, including her dress for the inauguration. Talley also worked with designers Tracy Reese and Rachel Roy, and singer Jennifer Hudson. He styled Melania Trump for her 2005 wedding.

From 2010 to 2011, Talley was a judge on America's Next Top Model. From 2013 to 2014, he was the international editor for Numéro Russia. He left after 12 issues because he disagreed with certain laws in Russia. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Savannah College of Art and Design since 1995.

In 2017, he started hosting his own radio show about fashion and pop culture on Sirius XM.

A documentary film about him, The Gospel According to André, was shown in 2016 and released in 2018. It showed his journey from growing up in North Carolina to becoming a major fashion leader. Talley was also in the documentaries The First Monday in May and The September Issue.

His memoir, The Chiffon Trenches, came out in May 2020. In it, he wrote about starting his career in New York City in the 1970s. He also shared his experiences with racism in the fashion world. It became a New York Times Best Seller.

Personal Life

Talley was a Christian and attended the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. A fashion critic once wrote that his church attendance influenced how he saw beauty and grace.

In the mid-2000s, Anna Wintour encouraged Talley to lose weight. He did lose a lot of weight and continued to focus on exercise and health. In his later years, Talley often ate his meals at the City Limits Diner near his home in White Plains, New York.

Legacy

André Leon Talley's career in fashion journalism lasted for six decades. He earned a lot of respect and praise in the fashion world. Many people saw him as a true fashion icon. His image became famous for the capes, robes, and kaftans he often wore. These became his signature style. Many of these long, flowing clothes were custom-made for him by famous designer friends. These included Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld, and Valentino.

Time magazine called him an "influential fashion journalist." They noted his tall height and his big influence on the fashion world. In the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada, the character Nigel Kipling is thought to be based on Talley.

Talley often spoke up for diversity during his time at Vogue and in the fashion industry. He pushed for more Black models on the runway. This helped start a movement for more diversity in all parts of the industry.

He also helped the careers of designers who were not white. He mentored LaQuan Smith and styled tennis player Serena Williams in Smith's designs. He also introduced Michelle Obama to designer Jason Wu. Wu then created her dress for the 2009 inauguration. Talley also helped include more Japanese designers in Vogue in the 1990s. He pushed for designers like Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake to be featured. He also mentored supermodel Naomi Campbell and photographer Dario Calmese. He often advised them and helped them grow their careers.

He was also important in helping John Galliano restart his career. Talley connected Galliano with a new supporter and helped arrange a fashion show. He even helped with small tasks like getting food for the staff. American designer Rick Owens also credits Talley with helping him start his career. Talley introduced Owens to Anna Wintour.

Death and Tributes

Talley answering questions at a book signing in New York, June 10, 2013

André Leon Talley passed away on January 18, 2022, at age 73. He died from problems related to a heart attack and COVID-19 at a hospital in White Plains, New York.

Many friends, fans, and organizations shared their sadness and paid tribute to Talley. Vogue editor-in-chief, Dame Anna Wintour, wrote that many people felt the loss of André. She mentioned the designers he supported and the generations he inspired.

His former America's Next Top Model colleague Tyra Banks said she loved André. She called him a "prolific person" with a mix of "fashion 'fabulousness' and real down-home southern comfort love." She said being with him was magical and that he was a "masterful teacher" and a "legend."

Michelle Obama posted that André Leon Talley was a unique person. She said he "changed the face of fashion and beauty for a generation of girls just like me." She added that he would be missed, but his legacy would keep inspiring people.

Other famous people who paid tribute to Talley included Mariah Carey, Naomi Campbell, Beyoncé, Viola Davis, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna.

After his death, his memoir, The Chiffon Trenches, became a best-seller on Amazon and sold out in many bookstores.

In 2023, during her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, Rihanna honored Talley. She wore a long red puffer coat similar to one he famously wore.

Books

• With Richard Bernstein, MegaStar, with an introduction by Paloma Picasso, Indigo Books, 1984, ISBN: 978-0-394-62305-4
• A.L.T.: A Memoir, Villard, 2003, ISBN: 0-375-50828-7
• A.L.T. 365+, designed by Sam Shahid, powerHouse Books, 2005, ISBN: 1-57687-240-8
• The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir, Ballantine, 2020, ISBN: 9780593129258

Filmography

Awards

• 2003: Eugenia Sheppard Award for Fashion Journalism, Council of Fashion Designers of America
• 2008: Honorary Doctor of Humanities, Savannah College of Art and Design
• 2011: The André Leon Talley Gallery opened in the SCAD Museum of Art
• 2020: Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres honor for arts and letters
• 2021: North Carolina Award for literature

See Also

In Spanish: André Leon Talley para niños

• LGBT culture in New York City
• List of LGBT people from New York City
• New Yorkers in journalism