His trajectory of more than half a century, Talley wore his sharp pen in several prestigious fashion magazines, such as Women’s Wear Daily, W or The New York Times. Although his work in fashion from The United States was what catapulted him to fame with large audiences. He was chief information officer of the magazine, as well as its creative director and one of Anna Wintour’s trusted people, thus being the first African-American to hold a relevant position within the fashion industry.
Now fashion is on the right track, it is much more inclusive, not only in terms of race, but also in other aspects
Andre Leon Talley
Born October 16, 1948 in Washington, D.C. Grew up with his grandmother in North Carolina, studied French literature at Brown University. By 1974 it was discovered by Diana Vreeland, director of fashion Y Harper’s Bazaar, with whom I work in the fashion exhibitions of the Metropolitan Museum of New York. Years later he met Andy Warhol and started his career at the artist’s magazine, Interview.
In 1983 he came to fashion and by 1988 he was already the creative director and right-hand man of Anna Wintour.
Among his outstanding jobs was: being Michelle Obama’s style adviser in 2008, in the first months of the first lady. For 2010 he was a jury of the reality show America’s Next Top Model and returned to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, where he was master of ceremonies at its annual gala.
2013 was a complex year, Talley was at the top of the media, he left fashion due to disagreements with Anna Wintour, whom he described as “someone cold and calculating” who separated him from his side for “being older and uncomfortable”. After his departure from the magazine, he caused other big names, such as Karl Lagerfeld, to stop calling him.
I keep the good, but fashion can be a very cruel environment
“There was a moment when I realized that as a prominent member of the newsroom, it was my obligation to promote black excellence, whether it was a model, a book, a movie or a play,” he declared in 2018 during his presentation at the catwalk 080 in Barcelona. She was recognized as a strong activist of the Afro community in fashion circles.