André Leon Talley, the fashion editor and television personality who became one of the most influential experts on style, died on Tuesday at the age of 73 from a heart attack stemming from COVID-19 complications.
Creating A Presence: Born on Oct. 16, 1948, in Washington, D.C., Talley experienced segregation during his formative years but sought to move beyond the racially limiting parameters of the era. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in French literature from North Carolina Central University in 1970 and attended Brown University on scholarship to earn a master of arts degree.
Although he initially planned to pursue a career as a French teacher, his focus shifted when he landed an unpaid internship in 1974 to work with Diana Vreeland on a fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Vreeland, who was an editor for Vogue magazine, had a reputation for being a formidable and demanding personality, but she admired Talley and arranged for him to land work as a receptionist with Andy Warhol's Interview magazine and the artist’s Factory studio.
Talley would later secure editorial positions at Women’s Wear Daily, W and the New York Times Co (NYSE:NYT) before arriving at Vogue, where he made history as the publication’s first Black male creative director.
A Media Star: During the 2000s, Talley became a household name through multiple appearances on television, including a judging gig on “America’s Next Top Model.” He authored the 2003 autobiography “A.L.T.: A Memoir,” advised the Obama family on fashion during the 2008 presidential campaign and hosted a show on SiriusXM Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:SIRI).
Talley was the subject of the 2018 documentary “The Gospel According to André” and authored a second autobiography "The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir" in 2020 that offered a harsh look at his experiences with racist attitudes within the fashion world and his often-difficult relationship with Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.
Talley, who stood 6-foot-6 and favored brightly-hued capes and extravagant jackets, was never married and rejected efforts in the media to label him as being a gay man, telling a 2013 Vanity Fair interview that he had “never been in love with a man” and was only in relationships with “two women” — although he altered his orientation in a 2018 interview on Wendy Williams’ talk show.
“No, I’m not heterosexual,” he said. “I’m saying I’m fluid in my sexuality, darling.”
Photo: Screen shot of Talley in a 2016 appearance on "The Wendy Williams Show."
