André Leon Talley, Fashion Journalist and Icon, is dead at 73.

Former creative director of US Vogue, André Leon Talley, died earlier today aged 73 due to a heart attack, according to BOF.

In his 73 years, Talley became a forceful and influential figure in the fashion industry and paved the way for people like Edward Enninful. He was born in Washington DC but grew up in North Carolina, raised by his grandmother and great-grandmother, who he often says created a nurturing and loving environment. 

Known for his extensive fashion knowledge, flamboyant style and larger-than-life personality, Talley began his fashion career as an intern for renowned Vogue editor Diana Vreeland. He contributed words to WWD and the New York Times before becoming Vogue’s fashion news director in 1983. Talley worked closely alongside Anna Wintour when he rose to creative director and then editor-in-chief of Vogue, making him the first Black person to hold a position like that at a major publication. In an interview with The Guardian in 2020, he said, “I earned my position not because I was a beautiful, skinny – you can look at the pictures – articulate black man. But because I had done my homework and my degrees. I never thought about being a man of colour in my career until recently.”

André Leon Talley appeared on America’s Next Top Model and was a style advisor to Michelle and Barack Obama. Despite his high social standing and many achievements, Talley was always passionate about discovering upcoming fashion talent and showing love to the next generation. 

During his lifetime, André Leon Talley wrote and contributed to many books such as Valentino and the personal memoir A.L.T 365+. His most recent memoir, The Chiffon Trenches, candidly goes into depth about his time working at Vogue. You can read an excerpt from Air Mail, who first broke the news of his death. 

Talley was also known for his friendships with fashion elites like Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent.

In an Instagram tribute, long time friend and designer Diane Von Furstenberg said, “no one saw the world in a more elegant and glamorous way than you did ❤️🙏… no one was more soulful and grander than you were.”

Discover more from GUAP’s Fashion section here