Andre Leon Talley
André Leon Talley was an American fashion journalist, stylist, creative director, and editor-at-large of Vogue magazine
Often regarded as a fashion icon, he was known for supporting emerging designers and advocating for diversity in the fashion industry.
Reading Materials
The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir
Summary: “During André Leon Talley’s first magazine job assisting Andy Warhol at Interview, a fateful meeting with Karl Lagerfeld began a decade’s long friendship with the enigmatic, often caustic designer. Propelled into the upper echelons by his knowledge and adoration of fashion, Talley moved to Paris as bureau chief of John Fairchild’s Women’s Wear Daily, befriending fashion’s most important designers. But as Talley made friends, he also made enemies. A racially tinged encounter with a member of the house of Yves Saint Laurent sent him back to New York and into the offices of Vogue under Grace Mirabella. There, he developed an unlikely but intimate friendship with Anna Wintour, and as she rose to the top of Vogue’s masthead, Talley became the most influential man in fashion. The Chiffon Trenches is a candid look at the who’s who of the last fifty years of fashion, and proof that fact is always fascinatingly more devilish than fiction.”
Summary: One of the most striking figures in international style offers a unique and unforgettable memoir of the two women who shaped his dreams, tastes, and character. Clear, elegant, and often magical, A.L.T. shines like a rare jewel as it illuminates three extraordinary lives.
Diane Von Furstenberg: The Wrap, Written by Andre Leon Talley
Summary: Diane von Furstenberg arrived in the fashion world in 1972 with her simple knit jersey wrap dresses. By 1976, Diane had sold more than 5 million of her signature wrap dresses, which had come to symbolize female power and liberation to an entire generation. Almost 20 years later, with the nostalgia for ’70s fashion at its peak, Diane re-emerged on the New York fashion scene with her signature wrap modified for a new generation of chic young women. Now with smaller collars than the original wrap, the new version has been enthusiastically adopted by today’s trendsetters and celebrities. This volume looks at the history of the “wrap” phenomenon, from its revolutionary early days to its ever-popular present.
Oscar De La Renta: His Legendary World of Style, Written by Andre Leon Talley
Summary: In this intimate volume, longtime editor and friend André Leon Talley recounts de la Renta’s journey through nearly 70 iconic dresses, mainly made for private clients, accompanied by fascinating stories of the exquisite craftsmanship and the legendary friends that brought each gown to life. Born in the Dominican Republic in 1932, de la Renta left for Madrid at nineteen to study art, where he rose to prominence as a sketch artist for newspapers and fashion houses. From his apprenticeship under Cristóbal Balenciaga to his eponymous collections, the designer’s simple lines elevated with a flamenco dancer’s flourish reflect his deep connection to his roots and his commitment to transcendence through beautiful garments.
Little Black Dress by Andre Leon Talley
Summary: A selectively curated overview of the little black dress in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, organized by Vogue contributing editor and fashion force André Leon Talley and published on the occasion of an exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art (Savannah College of Art and Design), André Leon Talley Gallery. Featuring an impeccably selected group of about sixty dresses from many of the most eminent fashion houses, the book is a celebratory tribute to the iconic little black dress and its deeply resonant cultural and social significance in the modern era.
Media
The September Issue (Documentary 2009)
Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at Vogue magazine (U.S.) as editor-and-chief Anna Windtour and her staff prepare the September 2007 issue. Includes footage of Andre Leon Talley and his role in this process.
The Gospel According to Andre (2017 Film)
Summary: Andre Leon Talley has been a fixture in the world of fashion for so long that it’s difficult to imagine a time when he wasn’t defining the boundaries of great style. Kate Novack’s intimate portrait takes viewers on an emotional journey from Andre’s roots growing up in the segregated Jim Crow South to become one of the most influential tastemakers and fashion curators of the times.