André Leon Talley, Fashion Icon, former Vogue director and Editor at Large, sparked an outpouring of tributes at the announcement of his death at 73, on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Stylists, stars, models, and the glitterati took to social media posting photos of the legendary creative force. Kerry Washington wrote on Instagram: “Oh André! Heaven is not ready for you darling … You blessed us with your charm and wit and your taste for the exceptional. You will shine so brightly from the heavens that we will know what true stardom looks like. And we will gaze up at you always. In awe. And with gratitude. Rest In Peace #AndreLeonTalley” Kevin Michael Ericsson called him a gentleman who understood the meaning of both past and present.”

The first Black creative director of  Vogue (1988 – 1995) Talley was known for advocating diversity in fashion. In 2007 he was ranked 45th in Out Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America, and his influence was global.

The author of several books, including, A.L.T.: A MEMOIR, A.L.T. 365+, and Little Black Dress for Assouline. His recent memoir, The Chiffon Trenches became a New York Times Best Seller. He was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Talley obtained a master’s degree in French Literature from Brown University and worked at Interview Magazine under Andy Warhol, Women’s Wear Daily, The New York Times, and W.

A stylist for the Obamas and close friend of designers Karl Lagerfeld and Oscar de la Renta, and the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, Talley was a staple at the Met Gala. The mentor of supermodel Naomi Campbell appeared on Empire, judged American’s Next Top Model, and featured in several documentaries, including The September Issues, The Gospel According to André and The First Monday in May and Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards.

Talley attributed his sense of style to his grandmother who instilled an “understanding of luxury” that impacted his visual sense. Raised in the segregated South he further explained his style, in a 2018 interview with The Washington Post, as being based on a “vast cultural knowledge that the old guard just could not have tapped into”.

Woke before the world was, he penetrated the sea of white that makes up the gatekeepers in fashion and brought a vibrancy of inclusiveness to the world that opened opportunity and dreams for the excluded. The Fashion legend in later years could often be seen in signature large colorful coats of exquisite fabric. He famously said, “People need to be edited; life needs to be edited.”