Official Obituary of André Leon Talley
The ground-breaking fashion editor André Leon Talley propelled himself through life with intelligence, faith, and generosity, as well as an unabashed belief in the uplifting power and grace of beauty.
André Leon Talley became an icon by never losing faith in the glory of fashion
The fashion editor André Leon Talley achieved rarefied status in an industry that he had to bend to his will. When he arrived in New York in the early ’70s with his degrees in French history and literature, he was a tall, skinny Black man from the segregated South who barreled through the gilded doors of a world that was populated by European aristocrats, ivory-skinned socialites, limousine liberals and snobs. He rose through the ranks due to his intelligence and savvy, as well as his unrelenting belief in the glories and glamour of fashion.
Farewell, André Leon Talley
André glided around the globe like a French king, swathing himself in glittering caftans and sable coats custom-made by his designer friends
André Leon Talley defined style on his own terms
The pioneering editor had a vision for a more democratic fashion world—and it stretched far past the pages of Vogue.
André Leon Talley, the Pioneering Vogue Editor, Has Died at 73
André Leon Talley, the larger-than-life former Vogue editor, has died at 73. Talley was a man of grand pronouncements, extravagant capes, and friends in design studios from New York to Paris—Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Diane von Furstenberg, Karl Lagerfeld, and many more. When the news of his death from a heart attack broke late last night, many of his friends in fashion and beyond took to social media to express their grief, and a theme emerged.