Tatler commemorates the legacy of a fashion powerhouse, André Leon Talley
American journalist and fashion icon, André Leon Talley, has passed away at the age of 73. The Vogue visionary had helmed the magazine between the Eighties and Nineties and was instrumental in building its direction through that time. Though those in the younger generation may remember him as a judge on America's Next Top Model, Talley was also known to many as the fashion magazine's news director and creative editor before his promotion to editor-at-large until 2013.
Sadly, news broke out through TMZ today that the visionary and creative had passed away at a hospital in New York. It was not immediately clear what he was battling at the time.
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Not only was Talley a fashion pioneer, but he also lobbied for more people of colour to be models on the runway. He was an LGBTQ+ icon and was a close friend and stylist of the Obamas. He worked alongside Anna Wintour and was the subject of a film entitled The Gospel According to André.
Having previously been open about his childhood, Talley can be considered an inspiration to many aspiring journalists and stylists. He spoke about growing up in North Carolina, where a young Talley would browse through copies of Vogue and become fascinated by style and fashion. "At an early age I discovered the beauty in pictures in Vogue magazine and Ebony magazine, and I would read The New York Times. I had to make my own world within my world because I was an only child," he once revealed.
Before he passed, he wrote two memoirs, which some many consider rather provocative: A.L.T: A Memoir and The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir. Despite some controversy, Talley will forever be remembered for his wit, perseverance, and style. As he once said, "I do believe there's a heaven. I do believe that God has given me the resilience and the survival skills to withstand the chiffon trenches."
And he had.
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