ANDRÉLEONTALLEY 1948-2022
REMEMBERI NG
ANDRÉ
NÉCROLOGI E
A
ndr éLeonTa l l e y , t hel a r ger t ha nl i f ef or merVogueedi t or , ha s di eda t7 3 . Ta l l e ywa sama nofgr a ndpr onounc ement s , e xt r a v a ga ntc a pes ,a ndf r i endsi ndes i gns t udi osf r om NewYor k t o Pa r i s —Ma r cJ a c obs ,Tom For d,Di a ne v on Fur s t enber g,Ka r l La ger f el d,a ndma nymor e.Whent henewsofhi sdea t hf r om ahea r t a t t a c kbr okel a t el a s tni ght ,ma nyofhi sf r i endsi nf a s hi ona ndbe y ond t ookt os oc i a lmedi at oe xpr es st hei rgr i ef ,a ndat hemeemer ged.The “ pha r a ohoff a bul os i t y , ”a sa not herVogues t a eronc edubbedTa l l e y , wa sa l s ot hei ndus t r y’ sbi gges tc ha mpi ona ndboos t er ,t hefir s tedi t or ba c ks t a ge,qui c kwi t henc our a gi nga dv i c eorac our s ec or r ec t i on.Hi s ent hus i a s m wa spr odi gi ous . “ Thel os sofAndr éi sf el tbys oma nyofust oda y:t hedes i gner she ent hus i a s t i c a l l yc heer edonev er ys ea s on, a ndwhol ov edhi mf ori t ;t he gener a t i onshei ns pi r edt owor ki nt hei ndus t r y ,s eei ngafigur ewho br okebounda r i eswhi l enev erf or get t i ngwher ehes t a r t edf r om;t hos e who knew f a s hi on,a nd Vogue,s i mpl y bec a us e ofhi m;a nd,not f or get t i ng,t he mul t i t ude ofc ol l ea gues ov ert he y ea r swho wer e c ons i s t ent l ybuoy edbyev er ynewdi s c ov er yofAndr é ’ s , whi c hhewoul d di s c us sl oudl y ,a ndv ol ubl y —noonec oul dma kepeopl emor ee xc i t ed a boutt hemos ts eemi ngl yi ns i gni fic a ntf a s hi ondet a i l st ha nhi m.Ev en hi ss t r ea m ofc ol or f ulf a xesa ndema i l swer eahi ghl ya nt i c i pa t edev ent , s omet hi ngwea l ll ookedf or wa r dt o, ”s a i dAnnaWi nt our .“ Yeti t ’ st he l os sofAndr éa smyc ol l ea guea nd f r i end t ha tIt hi nkofnow;i t ’ s i mmea s ur a bl e. He wa s ma gni fic ent a nd er udi t ea nd wi c kedl y f unny —mer c ur i a l ,t oo.Li kema nydec a des l ongr el a t i ons hi ps ,t her e wer ec ompl i c a t edmoment s , buta l l Iwa ntt or emembert oda y , a l l Ic a r e a bout , i st hebr i l l i a nta ndc ompa s s i ona t ema nwhowa sagener ousa nd l ov i ngf r i endt omea ndt omyf a mi l yf orma ny , ma nyy ea r s , a ndwhowe wi l la l lmi s ss omuc h. ” Ta l l e ygothi ss t a r ti nf a s hi onwi t ha nunpa i da ppr ent i c es hi pt oDi a na Vr eel a nda tt heMet r opol i t a nMus eum ofAr t ’ sCos t umeI ns t i t ut e,a pos i t i onhes eemedt oha v ewi l l edi nt obei ng. Heonc er epor t edt ha thi s bedr oom “ wa s wa l l pa per ed wi t hi ma ges outofDi a na Vr eel a nd’ s Vogue… Idi d notpa per my r oom wi t hJ oe Di Ma ggi oa nd Bur t Re ynol ds . ”Fr om t heMet ,Ta l l e ywentont owor ka tAndyWa r hol ’ s I nt er v i ew, Women’ sWea rDa i l y , a ndt heNewYor kTi mes , bef or et a ki ng t hef a s hi onnewsdi r ec t orj oba tVoguei n1 983 .AnnaWi nt ourna med hi mc r ea t i v edi r ec t ori n1 988a nda s i def r om at hr eey ea rr unwhenhe c ont r i but edt oW ma ga z i nef r om Pa r i s ,hec ont i nuedt owor ka tVogue unt i l2 01 3 . He wa st he fir s tBl a c k ma nt o hol d hi s pos i t i on a tVogue,a nd of t ent i meshewa st heonl yBl a c kper s oni nt hef r ontr ow a tf a s hi on s hows .“ Hewa sl i ket heBl a c kRoc ket t e… hewa st heone, ”s a i dWhoopi Gol dber g, poi nt i ngoutt hewhi t enes soft hei ndus t r yi nt he2 01 8bi opi c TheGos pel Ac c or di ngt oAndr é. I nt ha tdoc ument a r y , Ta l l e ys a y s ,“ y ou don’ tgetupa nds a y ,‘ l ook,I ’ m Bl a c ka ndI ’ m pr oud, ’ y ouj us tdoi ta nd i ti mpa c t st hec ul t ur e. ”Nonet hel es s ,hewa st hefir s tt owr i t ea bout La Qua nSmi t h,a ndot herdes i gner sofc ol or .
I n2 003 ,Ta l l e ywr ot e hi sfir s tbook ALT:A Memoi r ,whi c h he f ol l owedupi n2 02 0wi t hTheChionTr enc hes .Hi s2 005bookALT 3 65 +f ea t ur eday ea r ’ swor t hofc a pt i oneds na ps hot sofhi sVogue c ol l ea gues ,f a s hi on s hows ,a nd des i gner si nr epos e,i nc l udi nga phot oofVonFur s t enber gs wi mmi ngi nherConnec t i c utpool .The bookc a pt ur eds omeoft hei r r ev er enc ea ndwi tofhi sl egenda r y f a xes ,whi c hi ns pi r edt hees s ent i a lr ea di ngt ha twa shi sSt y l e Fa x c ol umni nVogue. Tha tol ds c hool fixa t i ona s i de, Ta l l e yc a mei nt ohi sowni nt hea geof t hei nt er net ,a sf a s hi onbec a meaf or m ofma s sent er t a i nment .He wa sabi gpr es enc ei nt he2 009doc ument a r yTheSept emberI s s ue, whi c hc hr oni c l edt hema ki ngoft hey ea r ’ sbi gges ti s s ueofVogue, a ndt hewor l da tl a r gegott oknowhi ma sa nopi ni ona t edj udgeon Amer i c a ’ sNe xtTopModelc i r c a2 01 0a nd’ 1 1 .I nmor er ec enty ea r s , notas i ngl ec el ebr i t ys a i dnot oa nAndr ei nt er v i ewwhent he ymet hi ma thi sper c hont het opoft hes t a i r sont heMetGa l ar edc a r pet . “ He ’ st heNel s onMa ndel aofc out ur e, t heKofiAnna nofwha ty ougot on, ”wi l l . i . a m dec l a r esi n The Gos pelAc c or di ng t o Andr é.Thi s mor ni ng,av i deoofhi mc heer i ngRi ha nnaona tt he2 01 5Ga l awa s c i r c l i ngwi del yons oc i a lmedi a .Hi sa dv i c et ot hes uper s t a r :“ Wa l k t hemus eum, a ndj us tdr i nkt hemoment . Dr i nki t ! Thi si sr a r ei nl i f e. Youa r es oi ns pi r i ngt os oma nypeopl e.Youa r egoi ngt oi ns pi r e peopl ei nt hi sdr es s ! ” Andr éLeonTa l l e ywa sbor ni nWa s hi ngt on,D. C.i n1 94 8a ndwa s r a i s edbyhi sgr a ndmot her ,ac l ea ni ngwoma na tDukeUni v er s i t y ,i n Dur ha m,Nor t hCa r ol i na ,dur i ngJ i m Cr ow.Hewentont oBr own Uni v er s i t y ,wher e he ea r ned hi s ma s t er ’ s degr ee i n Fr enc h l i t er a t ur e. “ Il ov edmyhomea ndmyf a mi l y , ”het ol dVogue, whent he doc ument a r yofhi sl i f ewa sr el ea s ed. “ Iwentt os c hool a ndt oc hur c h a ndIdi dwha tIwa st ol da ndIdi dn’ tt a l kmuc h.ButIknewl i f ewa s bi ggert ha nt ha t .Iwa nt edt omeetDi a naVr eel a nda ndAndyWa r hol a ndNa omiSi msa ndPa tCl ev el a nda ndEdi eSedgwi c ka ndLoul ou del aFa l a i s e. AndIdi d. AndInev erl ookedba c k. ”
MEMORI ALBOOKLETDESI GN Dus t i nJ .Pi c ket t
a di eu.