Andre Leon Talley appears in the new Ugg campaign (photo: Getty Images)
Cover Andre Leon Talley appears in the new Ugg campaign (photo: Getty Images)

Andre Leon Talley, one of the biggest names in fashion, is the new face of Ugg

For more than 20 years, Ugg boots have teetered somewhere in the periphery of cool—beloved by Hollywood celebrities and anyone who prizes cozy comfort above all else, the muffin-y shearling-lined classic boots and slippers have largely been the targets of tastemakers' side-eye. But this spring, with the endorsement of one of the most respected and legendary names in haute fashion, will Uggs finally round the corner into fully-fledged fashion respectability?

This week, Ugg unveiled its newest campaign star: the one and only Andre Leon Talley, living style legend and former American editor-at-large of Vogue magazine. He's the latest famous face to grace the brand's "Feel" series, in which he appears wearing Ugg "Tasman" slippers and the "Neumel" chukka boots on the front porch and lawn of his home in White Plains, New York.

"I don't consider myself an icon, no, not at all," says Andre Leon Talley in the Ugg campaign video. Anyone who's come up in fashion through the 80s and 90s would likely disagree with his self-assessment. 

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Above Andre Leon Talley is the new face of Ugg boots

Ugg certainly does. 

"Icons are rare," reads the campaign description. "They are aspirational, unlike any other, and impossible to imitate. Breaking barriers, they represent a belief system that is uniquely their own, leaving a mark on culture and history at large. Outside of its inherent value, there’s something more about an icon that draws people in. It makes us believe in something or someone–it makes us feel.

"Unequivocally legendary, André Leon Talley is a fashion journalist, best-selling author, and former editor-at-large of Vogue. Ahead of his time, he was the magazine’s fashion news director from 1983 to 1987 and then its first Black creative director from 1988 to 1995. In May of 2020, he published his second memoir titled The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir about his humble beginnings and influential career at the helm of fashion, backdropped by experiences with racism, prejudice, and bias. An iconic tastemaker, he represents a spirit, sensibility, intellect, and attitude that never goes out of style."