When the news broke around dinner time on the West Coast last night that André Leon Talley — one of the few icons who truly deserved to be called iconic — had died, I flashed back to a moment in my own life. Heather and I were covering Fashion Week for New York magazine, and I had somehow ended up arriving at Oscar de la Renta VERY late. As was André Leon Talley! (He surely for glamorous reasons, I just couldn’t get a cab.) Anyway, under most circumstances, ALT would certainly have been found a seat regardless while I would have correctly shuffled over to standing room, but the way the show was set up logistically, it was too late for any of that — and that’s how I ended up perched on top of a sandbag next to him in the photo pit to watch the show. It was thrilling. (He did not seem to mind. He was resplendent in a caftan.) I’m certain there are going to be countless remembrances of him from folks who actually knew him published over the next several days and I look forward to reading them; there is surely so much to write about such a groundbreaking and unforgettable man. I also really recommend his excellent autobiography, The Chiffon Trenches. And in his honor, we’ve pulled some photos from his always well-dressed, if surely not always easy, life. One of the things that strikes me about all these pictures is how much everyone with him seems to love his company — which is a wonderful legacy to leave behind, too.
I saw this on Twitter last night, and thought you might enjoy seeing it as well:
Andre Leon Talley was a walking encyclopedia of fashion. He was a leader of high style and a walking piece of fashion history. Fashion of the 20th and 21st century wouldn’t be the same without him. RIP Andre Leon Talley. pic.twitter.com/5XGWfTDpLT
— Naomi Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup (@beyonceseyelid) January 19, 2022
And these shots are spectacular:
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) January 19, 2022
And, finally:
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