Fashion icon Andre Leon Talley lifeless at 73

Fashion icon and previous Vogue editor André Leon Talley has died at age 73, a statement launched on his formal Instagram confirmed late Tuesday.

“It is with fantastic unhappiness we announce the passing of André Leon Talley on January 18, 2022 in New York,” the statement read. “Mr. Talley was the bigger-than-lifestyle, longtime inventive director at Vogue in the course of its increase to dominance as the world’s vogue bible.”

The cause of his death was not disclosed.

“Above the earlier five decades as an worldwide icon was a close confidant of Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, Paloma Picasso and he had a penchant for discovering, nurturing and celebrating youthful designers. His byline appeared in Vanity Reasonable, HG, Job interview, Ebony and Women’s Don Daily and he was the editor of Numero Russia,” the statement ongoing. “Mr. Talley wrote numerous books, like Valentino, A.L.T.: A Memoir, A.L.T. 365+ and Little Black Costume for Assouline, and contributed to Valentino: At the Emperor’s Desk and Cartier Panthère. He was the topic of the documentary The Gospel According to André and his current memoir, The Chiffon Trenches grew to become a New York Instances Very best Seller.”

Talley was an American manner journalist recognised for his do the job in shaping U.S. Vogue and trend as a entire. He was the magazine’s manner information director from 1983 to 1987 and its artistic director from 1988 to 1995. He was later built editor-at-substantial, a place he held until finally 2013.

Talley, who later on grew to become the head of Numéro Russia journal, remained an occasional contributor to Vogue subsequent his departure as editor, and in 2019, wrote a piece honoring his late friend, designer Karl Lagerfeld, who died in February of that year.

“In 2014, he was named creative director of Zappos Couture, and he has been on the Board of Trustees of Savannah Faculty of Artwork and Style and design considering that 2000,” in accordance to the assertion on his Instagram. “Mr. Talley was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Republic in 2020 and the North Carolina Governor’s award for literature in 2021. He was a lengthy-standing member of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church.”

Aside from his contributions to Vogue, the 6-foot-6 star, recognized and cherished for his perception of humor, honesty and loud, magnificent personal type — primarily when it arrived to designer caftans — was an creator, curator and Tv set character. He starred in “America’s Up coming Best Product” for 4 seasons, as a judge, manufactured cameos on “Empire” and the 1st “Sex and the Town” film, dressed and profiled then-initially girl Michelle Obama for Vogue, had a front row seat at the most prestigious couture displays all around the earth, became the muse and confidant of quite a few designers — including Oscar de la Renta, whom he curated a museum exhibition for in 2018 — and, for many yrs, was the suitable-hand person of fashion’s leading girl: Anna Wintour.

In 2017, filmmaker Kate Novack launched a documentary, “The Gospel In accordance to Andre,” about the model legend — beginning from his humble upbringing to his rise to the best of the manner industry.

All through his job, the Durham, North Carolina, native designed endeavours to introduce more culturally numerous voices into the overwhelmingly white fashion field and spoke out about his struggles with racism. In his 2020 book, “The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir,” he recalled the emotion he felt when Edward Enninful was named the initial Black editor-in-main of British Vogue. That exact same yr, Talley sent shockwaves throughout the style globe when he spoke out about the deficiency of Black expertise at Vogue. “At one stage, I was the only Black person on Anna’s team,” he instructed Mail On-line.

In his 2003 memoir, “A.L.T.,” Talley explained his childhood in Durham, the place he was raised by his grandmother and labored as a taxi driver to conserve income. When it was time for college or university, he enrolled in North Carolina Central University, exactly where he majored in French, and later, bought a scholarship to Brown College, for his master’s. Before long just after graduating, Talley obtained his 1st career in trend as a volunteer assistant to Diana Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. As soon as within the style bubble, he landed a placement at Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, in which his career as a journalist took off, and later on moved close to to WWD, Vainness Truthful, Vogue and a variety of other publications.

Talley experienced mostly stayed off social media because 2021, when he was included in a monetary mess above the ownership of the Westchester mansion where he lived considering the fact that 2004, and which formerly belonged to the former CEO of Manolo Blahnik.

Right after hearing of his dying, manner insiders and good friends have taken to social media to share their condolences and honor his memory.

“The decline of Andre is felt by so quite a few of us currently: the designers he enthusiastically cheered on each and every season, and who loved him for it the generations he motivated to work in the marketplace, viewing a figure who broke boundaries although never forgetting the place he began from these who knew style, and Vogue, simply since of him and, not forgetting, the multitude of colleagues over the many years who ended up regularly buoyed by just about every new discovery of Andre’s, which he would discuss loudly, and volubly — no one could make persons extra thrilled about the most seemingly insignificant manner specifics than him,” explained Vogue editor-in-main Anna Wintour in a statement.

“Even his stream of colorful faxes and e-mails were being a really anticipated event, something we all appeared ahead to,” she ongoing. “Nonetheless it is the decline of Andre as my colleague and pal that I consider of now it’s immeasurable. He was spectacular and erudite and wickedly amusing — mercurial, also. Like numerous decades-prolonged associations, there have been complex moments, but all I want to try to remember these days, all I treatment about, is the amazing and compassionate man who was a generous and loving good friend to me and to my family for many, a lot of a long time, and who we will all miss so a lot.”

Designer Diane von Furstenberg wrote on Instagram, “Very good bye darling André ❤️🙏… no 1 saw the world in a much more glamorous way than you did ❤️🙏… no just one was grander and additional soulful than you were being ❤️🙏…the planet will be significantly less joyfulI ❤️🙏 I have beloved you and laughed with you for 45 years…. I pass up your loud screams …I like you soooo a lot ❤️🙏.”

Marc Jacobs posted a throwback picture of himself with Talley on Instagram, and wrote in the caption, “I am in shock. You championed me and you have been my pal given that my beginning. Our chats, the times we shared….oh my friend. You and your passions had been larger sized than daily life. I adore you and I will overlook you expensive Andre. Relaxation In Peace.”

Lindsay Peoples Wagner, editor in main of The Slash, wrote on Instagram: “Not even confident how to wrap my intellect all around all you’ve finished, and the legacy you’ve still left at the rear of, but you gave us hope and aspirations that we never ever would have dreamed if it hadn’t been for you andre.”

“Thank you for your information and passion for style and glamour,” designer Bob Mackie wrote on Instagram. “You will be skipped.”

Hollywood and Broadway praised Talley as a gentleman who dressed himself and other people with a singular vision. “Relaxation perfectly king,” Viola Davis wrote on Instagram.

Talley was a “definitely authentic coronary heart, spirit and mind. He forged a giant shadow and will not quickly be overlooked,” author and actor Harvey Fierstein said on Twitter.

“For a little black homosexual boy who reached for the stars from the south there were several persons I could seem up to up there amongst the stars who seemed like me just extra fab other than for you Andre,” playwright Jeremy O. Harris said on Twitter. “For a era of boys Andre Leon Talley was a beacon of grace and aspiration. RIP.”

– ABC News’ Jacqueline Laurean Yates contributed to this report.