André Leon Talley

André Leon Talley was a huge figure for me to look up to in the fashion industry as one of my “mentors” that I never met or spoken to. While I didn’t want to go the fashion journalism route, I still looked to know my fashion history and hold a breadth of knowledge in a way that might not be as broad as he did, but be able to speak to things and the history and evolution of it at the very least. He was an actual fashion encyclopedia that experienced it all. When I first heard he was releasing a new memoir two years ago, I rushed to put my order in. I remember cracking it open for the first time in the backseat of my mom’s car on the car ride to Charleston, South Carolina — Goose Creek really, to visit the sole Black-owned book store in the state.

You don’t see that many Black people in the fashion industry and you definitely don’t see as many Black southerners in the fashion industry. Black fashion is important and Black southern fashion is important as well. I understand that and André understood that as well. I enjoyed reading a book about a gay, black, tall, boy from the South that was raised by his grandmother ultimately making his way to great successes in New York City.

There’s another aspect to Mr. Talley that I greatly admired, the love for the French language. French was the first language I formally studied (aside from English). It’s a beautiful language and you can confidently say it is the language of fashion. While reading his book, you know that his fondness for French history and culture added levels to his understanding of fashion, style, and overall taste. His breadth of knowledge and ability to maneuver circles lead to him being one of the most impactful and fundamental fashion figures. His hand was behind a lot of what and who we consider to be “iconic” and “legendary”.

I hope that Mr. Talley found peace in his last years and knew how much of an impact he had on the lives of others. It’s not lost on me that he felt he got the recognition he deserved back in the South.