Fashion icon and former Vogue editor André Leon Talley has passed away at age 73.
His death was announced in a statement released on his official Instagram page on Tuesday night.
“It is with great sadness we announce the passing of André Leon Talley on January 18, 2022 in New York,” the statement said. “Mr. Talley was the larger-than-life, longtime creative director at Vogue during its rise to dominance as the world’s fashion bible.”
He reportedly died at a hospital in White Plains, NY but it is unclear the ailment he was battling with before his death.
While Talley, the first Black editor of Vogue, might no longer be with us he leaves behind a solid legacy, especially for the Black community in the industry.
Born in Washington, D.C., Talley initially wanted to be a teacher after the completion of his Master’s degree in French Literature at Brown University.
He had a change in career and fell in love with fashion after attending his first fashion show. He then moved to New York and kickstarted his fashion journalism career as an unpaid apprentice with Diana Vreeland.
He got his career break with Interview, he then worked with Women’s Wear Daily. Following his impactful contribution at both outlets, he joined Vogue and that kickstarted Talley’s influence in the vision and direction of Vogue and the fashion industry of the US. He worked his way up to the editor of the outlet.
Talley’s notable long haul of achievements involves being the first (and so far) only Black creative director at Vogue, a stylist for Michelle Obama and a judge on ‘America Next Top Model’.
We lost a fashion icon, but undoubtedly his legacy will live on forever.
