André Leon Talley - Stylist
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i know i may sound annoying to someone who likes what he does (whatever that is) but i still have trouble discerning what is it that he does at vogue and why is it HIS job to do that, and not someone else's
i just dont understand how based on his formal training (french lit) he is able to take decisions that in any way matter to such a huge publication that must rely on strong and well composed opinions.
i get that he has a lot of experience and that he had worked alongside with Vreeland and now Anna, but for that very same reason we could say that his vision is not that wide and focuses maybe too much on the one and only thing he knows about.
i dont even think his flamboyant personal style could have anything to do with it. i mean, if putting together a pair of diamond incrusted vivier shoes with a larger than life balenciaga cape is seen as somewhat talented, then anyone could be in his place, no?
there's got to be something else i dont know about!!
as Karl would say: "when you like something right away, you dont have to worry. But when you don't like, you must ask yourself why is it that people like that!"
so also on another note to all of the above, do tell me why is it that you like about ALT
i just dont understand how based on his formal training (french lit) he is able to take decisions that in any way matter to such a huge publication that must rely on strong and well composed opinions.
i get that he has a lot of experience and that he had worked alongside with Vreeland and now Anna, but for that very same reason we could say that his vision is not that wide and focuses maybe too much on the one and only thing he knows about.
i dont even think his flamboyant personal style could have anything to do with it. i mean, if putting together a pair of diamond incrusted vivier shoes with a larger than life balenciaga cape is seen as somewhat talented, then anyone could be in his place, no?
there's got to be something else i dont know about!!
as Karl would say: "when you like something right away, you dont have to worry. But when you don't like, you must ask yourself why is it that people like that!"
so also on another note to all of the above, do tell me why is it that you like about ALT
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cygnenoir
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Well, this should be verrrrry interesting. 
Just saw that Andre will a guest on the Craig Ferguson show this evening. (The other guest is Kate Beckinsale which makes it even more surreal, I think.)
I assume he's promoting "The September Issue"?
Just saw that Andre will a guest on the Craig Ferguson show this evening. (The other guest is Kate Beckinsale which makes it even more surreal, I think.)
I assume he's promoting "The September Issue"?
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i know i may sound annoying to someone who likes what he does (whatever that is) but i still have trouble discerning what is it that he does at vogue and why is it HIS job to do that, and not someone else's
i just dont understand how based on his formal training (french lit) he is able to take decisions that in any way matter to such a huge publication that must rely on strong and well composed opinions.
i get that he has a lot of experience and that he had worked alongside with Vreeland and now Anna, but for that very same reason we could say that his vision is not that wide and focuses maybe too much on the one and only thing he knows about.
i dont even think his flamboyant personal style could have anything to do with it. i mean, if putting together a pair of diamond incrusted vivier shoes with a larger than life balenciaga cape is seen as somewhat talented, then anyone could be in his place, no?
there's got to be something else i dont know about!!
as Karl would say: "when you like something right away, you dont have to worry. But when you don't like, you must ask yourself why is it that people like that!"
so also on another note to all of the above, do tell me why is it that you like about ALT
I mean, why not?
He certainly has the experience, having worked under la Vreeland...
Besides, if you're going to use the 'what's so special about him' argument, I may be inclined to ask what is really so special about Virginia Smith, Lauren Santo Domingo, or all those other Vogue girls (and boys)?
Sure, they're stylish, but so are a 1001 other NY socialités...
What makes Hamish Bowles so special? That he's a hyper-cultured british guy?
Those seem to be a dime a dozen, and I bet many would be more than willing to work for a magazine such as Vogue...
Maybe Anna just likes him, who knows...
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cygnenoir
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Replying to myself! This was listed on all the TV guides but actually did not happen. No Kate Beckinsale either. Hopefully it will air soon.
And as far as ALT's talent, experience and so on, I think sometimes people just fall into jobs and it's mostly about luck. You just happen to be the right person at the right place at the right time and then once you're in, you find that it's actually a good fit and that you do have some ability in the area.
Probably doesn't hurt to be a 6'7" black man interested in fashion! Anyone see those old pictures of him when he was young? He was quite the dandy and it would have been difficult not to notice him!
Style Savvy
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I heard she will be a judge on America's Next Top Model. If so, that's great for ANTM.
I heard she will be a judge on America's Next Top Model. If so, that's great for ANTM.
you mean HE, right
ALT + Tyra = More Crazy Antics
i doubt if ALT being in America's Next Kinda Model will have any effect
on the show's ability to produce real top models, seeing that the show's
absurd format is to orchestrate the poor model wannabes with visions
of high fashion in the first few episodes, only to pummel them down later
on with commercialism courtesy of that shining shimmering Covergirl
contract. the last part technically wipes out all hopes of the winner to
score down real campaigns and photo shoots. and i mean, its still
Tyra calling the shots.
but this may turn out good as well, and this move of getting ALT as a
panelist might be Tyra's means of salvation, a way of lessening all the
ridiculous elements (that they have been bent on amassing since the first
few cycles) and adding more refinery to her format. and Andre's Vogue
connections doesn't hurt as well, it may be the winner's ultimate ticket
to landing glossies in magazines that matter.
i doubt if ALT being in America's Next Kinda Model will have any effect
on the show's ability to produce real top models, seeing that the show's
absurd format is to orchestrate the poor model wannabes with visions
of high fashion in the first few episodes, only to pummel them down later
on with commercialism courtesy of that shining shimmering Covergirl
contract. the last part technically wipes out all hopes of the winner to
score down real campaigns and photo shoots. and i mean, its still
Tyra calling the shots.
but this may turn out good as well, and this move of getting ALT as a
panelist might be Tyra's means of salvation, a way of lessening all the
ridiculous elements (that they have been bent on amassing since the first
few cycles) and adding more refinery to her format. and Andre's Vogue
connections doesn't hurt as well, it may be the winner's ultimate ticket
to landing glossies in magazines that matter.
Personally I haven't got the slightest clue why this US Vogue hanger-on with an unlimited expense account is in any way relevant to the world of fashion?
I'm afraid there are only 2 things I don't like about Andre Leon Talley - everything he says and everything he does!
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mikeijames
no tom ford, no thanks.
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i've not really read all of the back and fourth commentary in this thread but i feel compelled to reply anyway. the phrase "it's not what you know but who you know" remains more true today than it ever has. ALT has relationships and experiences in the fashion world that find themselves INVALUABLE to vogue as the institution that it's become. just like anna wintour does not have a PHD in publishing or any sort of fashion training whatsoever, ALT has an eye for what's right and a nose for what's good. do you think that michelle obama would have appeared on the cover of vogue without ALT? further, as this forum proves almost daily, there's a difference between knowing a little -- or a lot -- about fashion and making senseless commentary and having a genuine identifiable POINT OF VIEW. there exist people who have spent years in the fashion industry who don't know their rodarte from their rodin. there exist people in this very forum who don't know the difference mainbocher and maison martin margiela. more than that: beyond knowing the vocabulary of modern fashion, the ability to have an opinion. and then have an opinion that resonates with the zeitgeist of this generation. that's a rare talent.
there are seamstresses who have sewn longer than ghesquiere has been alive. there are mid-level retail managers -- who have worked at high end stores for decades -- who have less business sense than tom ford has in his pinky finger. there are tenured teachers at fashion schools who could not write one article that could hold a flame to cathy horyn's most pithy blog. it's not just about education. it's about having something to SAY. and andre leon talley has that in spades.
there are seamstresses who have sewn longer than ghesquiere has been alive. there are mid-level retail managers -- who have worked at high end stores for decades -- who have less business sense than tom ford has in his pinky finger. there are tenured teachers at fashion schools who could not write one article that could hold a flame to cathy horyn's most pithy blog. it's not just about education. it's about having something to SAY. and andre leon talley has that in spades.
^^
so the part of the invaluable relationships i get. he is "bien placé", he's been around for a long time, he partied back in the good old wild days in new york city and he worked for some time under Diana Vreeland.
but the eye for what's right, the nose for what's good, even the point of view...
sincerely i've never seen/heard/read ALT being able to explain what he does or what he really has to say.
Because when he is asked in the September Issue he says he helps the editors to have "a dialogue about fashion" (whatever that's supposed to mean)
And, his "life with andre" pages are more about his lavish lifestlye (his first ever excursion to the tennis court was actually described in his section once. vuitton bags and all included).
And, his visits to ateliers and showrooms are not quite insightful either. He tells Isabel Toledo that her glasses are upside down and she goes and says "you have SUCH an eye"
and then he compliments her cruise collection is "clinical" (which he previously says he doesnt like about other collections)
These examples may all be very "september issue" but i guess that's what i have in most recent memory.
I've seen everything from short videos to a whole interview with chanlie rose, or clips where he appears just a few seconds giving his opinion on shows (like style.com videos but older) and if he has a point of view, he sure is very private about it.
I've never heard him say anything more elaborate than what you'd get out of a 17 years old russian model. His thoughts on a Chloe collection back when Karl was still designing for the house? "this was very beautiful! and modern! and very very beautiful!!!"
What he thought about the Chanel resort that was showed in Grand Central? "There's something about the way you have to pronouce channnnnnnelllllllle, you know? CLICK! it's like... channnneeelllllle CLICK CLICK!!" with laughing and crying all in between...
i don't know... i still don't get it. As you see i've tried, but it's just beyond me.
I feel like bryanboy could do his job better. right, not for the relationships part (yet)
so the part of the invaluable relationships i get. he is "bien placé", he's been around for a long time, he partied back in the good old wild days in new york city and he worked for some time under Diana Vreeland.
but the eye for what's right, the nose for what's good, even the point of view...
sincerely i've never seen/heard/read ALT being able to explain what he does or what he really has to say.
Because when he is asked in the September Issue he says he helps the editors to have "a dialogue about fashion" (whatever that's supposed to mean)
And, his "life with andre" pages are more about his lavish lifestlye (his first ever excursion to the tennis court was actually described in his section once. vuitton bags and all included).
And, his visits to ateliers and showrooms are not quite insightful either. He tells Isabel Toledo that her glasses are upside down and she goes and says "you have SUCH an eye"
and then he compliments her cruise collection is "clinical" (which he previously says he doesnt like about other collections)These examples may all be very "september issue" but i guess that's what i have in most recent memory.
I've seen everything from short videos to a whole interview with chanlie rose, or clips where he appears just a few seconds giving his opinion on shows (like style.com videos but older) and if he has a point of view, he sure is very private about it.
I've never heard him say anything more elaborate than what you'd get out of a 17 years old russian model. His thoughts on a Chloe collection back when Karl was still designing for the house? "this was very beautiful! and modern! and very very beautiful!!!"
What he thought about the Chanel resort that was showed in Grand Central? "There's something about the way you have to pronouce channnnnnnelllllllle, you know? CLICK! it's like... channnneeelllllle CLICK CLICK!!" with laughing and crying all in between...
i don't know... i still don't get it. As you see i've tried, but it's just beyond me.
I feel like bryanboy could do his job better. right, not for the relationships part (yet)
Style Savvy
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bryanboy.com
Notice his name on the masthead. During the March issue, he is Editor at Large. But then comes the April issue and he's only a contributing editor. Bryanboy speculates that he might be the new W magazine editor-in-chief!
i had never watched ANTM before, but being one of the very few who questions him, i guess i had no choice but to see what he is capable of, no?
needless to say that this only nurtures arguments against him.
Episode 2 analysis:
1) dreckitude? really?
2) when he says one of the pictures is
2.1 "dior-ish" the chair where the girl is sitting, and the dove grey walls do point out straight to Dior's avenue montaigne flagship, but not the rest of the picture i think
2.2 "roberto cavalli-ish" is more accurate. but do note it is Tyra suggesting the resemblance.
2.3 "all-the-luxury-brands-ish" all of us were more eloquent than that in our first post at tFS as "windowshoppers"
2.4 oh! and my favorite... (hold your breath one second)... "GUCCI-ESQUE-ISH".
The guy is a french major (he did study french in college, which you may have figured out by his poorly pronounced gallicisms, which he uses to impress these poor girls from who-knows-where in far away Iowa) and he can't figure out that the "esque" already stands for the "ish"? He works in the bloody publishing business!!!!
i need to relax... find a zen place... listen to music...
and Anna has to figure out what to do with ALT!!! (that he is no more the editor at large and appears credited as a contributing editor may be a good sign! i'd rather see a "Life with BryanBoy" page in the next issue of Vogue than ALT again... If he was American editor at large, and Hamish is Europe's.... maybe bryan could be an "online editor at large"? and if it doesnt exist, the Pope can sure make it up and get away with it!!
enough André for today... zen!
needless to say that this only nurtures arguments against him.
Episode 2 analysis:
1) dreckitude? really?
2) when he says one of the pictures is
2.1 "dior-ish" the chair where the girl is sitting, and the dove grey walls do point out straight to Dior's avenue montaigne flagship, but not the rest of the picture i think
2.2 "roberto cavalli-ish" is more accurate. but do note it is Tyra suggesting the resemblance.
2.3 "all-the-luxury-brands-ish" all of us were more eloquent than that in our first post at tFS as "windowshoppers"
2.4 oh! and my favorite... (hold your breath one second)... "GUCCI-ESQUE-ISH".
The guy is a french major (he did study french in college, which you may have figured out by his poorly pronounced gallicisms, which he uses to impress these poor girls from who-knows-where in far away Iowa) and he can't figure out that the "esque" already stands for the "ish"? He works in the bloody publishing business!!!!
i need to relax... find a zen place... listen to music...and Anna has to figure out what to do with ALT!!! (that he is no more the editor at large and appears credited as a contributing editor may be a good sign! i'd rather see a "Life with BryanBoy" page in the next issue of Vogue than ALT again... If he was American editor at large, and Hamish is Europe's.... maybe bryan could be an "online editor at large"? and if it doesnt exist, the Pope can sure make it up and get away with it!!
enough André for today... zen!
Tigertonio
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Interview with André Leon Talley from "The Cut" -- September 7, 2010
Original interview here: http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/09/andre_leon_talley_is_hosting_f.html
Vogue contributing editor André Leon Talley is known for his taste and candor, whether lauding young designers like LaQuan Smith or Jason Wu, chiding America's Next Top Model contenders for their "dreckitude," or introducing sadly shod shoppers to new Manolo Blahniks. Most recently, he was distressed by the parade of lackluster frocks at the Emmys. "Red-carpet style has not evolved," he sighs. "Whenever I see the red-carpet shows, I wonder what happened to these people. Who told them to get dressed that way?" (If only he could host the award pre-shows, we might be able to watch them without the mute button on ... )
Tonight, Talley is trading his usual front-row seat for the catwalk, hosting Fashion's Night Out's first public fashion show with blogger and model Hanneli Mustaparta, which will be streamed live on cbs.com. We chatted with the Fashion Week fixture about his Fashion's Night Out plans, dream ANTM guest judge, and reemergence on the tennis court.
So you're hosting the Fashion's Night Out fashion show and webcast. What's your strategy?
I'm delighted to be co-hosting with Hanneli. I've been having meetings all this week; this is going to be historically significant. We're bringing fashion to the people.
Do you think Fashion Week should be made more accessible to the public?
Of course — it's very important that fashion be accessible to everyone. Anna [Wintour] has spearheaded something that is vital to increasing fashion awareness and boosting the economy of shopping.
What's your agenda for Fashion's Night Out?
First I'll go to Manolo Blahnik, then to Dylan Lauren's candy store. I'm on a panel judging dresses made from candy by Savannah College of Art and Design students. I'll pass by Chanel quickly, then head down to the Ralph Lauren store, where I'm introducing a performance by Janelle Monae. And then I'll go to Début, where they're selling T-shirts painted with my likeness.
Who are your favorite designers?
Well, I have lots of them. I always look to Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren. Marc Jacobs is going to be a special moment in Fashion Week — it always is. And there's also always some excitement at Donna Karan.
Any up-and-comers you're excited about?
LaQuan Smith. It's extra-special to see someone who's self-taught. He cut his collection in his grandmother's bedroom in Queens, but his clothes are flawlessly finished, with a real sense of modernity.
What's the first designer item you ever bought?
A Ralph Lauren blanket for my dorm room, with a Polo pony on it. I also bought a gray hand-knit pullover sweater, with a patch pocket and a leather toggle on it. I don't have the sweater anymore, but I still have the blanket somewhere.
Where do you like to shop in New York?
The Marc Jacobs store on Mercer, and Hermès and Trelliage for furniture and gifts.
How would you describe your personal style?
Historical references and inspiration — that covers it all. The specific reference depends on the day.
What trends are you appreciating right now?
I love the sweater story in Vogue. The sweater is the new jacket; there are so many ways to wear it, whether belted or with a ballgown. It's no longer about the twin set: It can be a pinup-girl sexy or a cozy grandfather's cardigan.
What's one item you're saving to buy, fashion-related or otherwise?
I'm looking forward to having my house painted; I'm having that done in a big way. It's classical white with black shutters. I'm having a painter in from Washington, D.C., who was recommended to me by Maureen Dowd.
What's something you never leave the house without?
The New York Times; I read it every morning. The op-ed page is my favorite.
Season 15 of America's Next Top Model premieres tomorrow. Would you say it's more high-fashion than previous seasons?
Absolutely, purely based on the people who came on the show as guest judges. We had designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Zac Posen. When you have the president of the CFDA on, the quality is obviously elevated.
Who would be your dream guest judge?
Linda Evangelista. She's one of the greatest models in our time — I think she would be extraordinary.
Are you recognized more frequently since becoming a judge on ANTM?
Of course they do, but I'm thrilled with it. I love when people come up to me in airports. As long as they're polite, I don't mind at all.
What's up next for you after Fashion Week?
I'm going to take up tennis again and bring my Louis Vuitton outfits back out. I'm researching clubs and tennis coaches in Westchester — I need a pro.
Original interview here: http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/09/andre_leon_talley_is_hosting_f.html
Vogue contributing editor André Leon Talley is known for his taste and candor, whether lauding young designers like LaQuan Smith or Jason Wu, chiding America's Next Top Model contenders for their "dreckitude," or introducing sadly shod shoppers to new Manolo Blahniks. Most recently, he was distressed by the parade of lackluster frocks at the Emmys. "Red-carpet style has not evolved," he sighs. "Whenever I see the red-carpet shows, I wonder what happened to these people. Who told them to get dressed that way?" (If only he could host the award pre-shows, we might be able to watch them without the mute button on ... )
Tonight, Talley is trading his usual front-row seat for the catwalk, hosting Fashion's Night Out's first public fashion show with blogger and model Hanneli Mustaparta, which will be streamed live on cbs.com. We chatted with the Fashion Week fixture about his Fashion's Night Out plans, dream ANTM guest judge, and reemergence on the tennis court.
So you're hosting the Fashion's Night Out fashion show and webcast. What's your strategy?
I'm delighted to be co-hosting with Hanneli. I've been having meetings all this week; this is going to be historically significant. We're bringing fashion to the people.
Do you think Fashion Week should be made more accessible to the public?
Of course — it's very important that fashion be accessible to everyone. Anna [Wintour] has spearheaded something that is vital to increasing fashion awareness and boosting the economy of shopping.
What's your agenda for Fashion's Night Out?
First I'll go to Manolo Blahnik, then to Dylan Lauren's candy store. I'm on a panel judging dresses made from candy by Savannah College of Art and Design students. I'll pass by Chanel quickly, then head down to the Ralph Lauren store, where I'm introducing a performance by Janelle Monae. And then I'll go to Début, where they're selling T-shirts painted with my likeness.
Who are your favorite designers?
Well, I have lots of them. I always look to Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren. Marc Jacobs is going to be a special moment in Fashion Week — it always is. And there's also always some excitement at Donna Karan.
Any up-and-comers you're excited about?
LaQuan Smith. It's extra-special to see someone who's self-taught. He cut his collection in his grandmother's bedroom in Queens, but his clothes are flawlessly finished, with a real sense of modernity.
What's the first designer item you ever bought?
A Ralph Lauren blanket for my dorm room, with a Polo pony on it. I also bought a gray hand-knit pullover sweater, with a patch pocket and a leather toggle on it. I don't have the sweater anymore, but I still have the blanket somewhere.
Where do you like to shop in New York?
The Marc Jacobs store on Mercer, and Hermès and Trelliage for furniture and gifts.
How would you describe your personal style?
Historical references and inspiration — that covers it all. The specific reference depends on the day.
What trends are you appreciating right now?
I love the sweater story in Vogue. The sweater is the new jacket; there are so many ways to wear it, whether belted or with a ballgown. It's no longer about the twin set: It can be a pinup-girl sexy or a cozy grandfather's cardigan.
What's one item you're saving to buy, fashion-related or otherwise?
I'm looking forward to having my house painted; I'm having that done in a big way. It's classical white with black shutters. I'm having a painter in from Washington, D.C., who was recommended to me by Maureen Dowd.
What's something you never leave the house without?
The New York Times; I read it every morning. The op-ed page is my favorite.
Season 15 of America's Next Top Model premieres tomorrow. Would you say it's more high-fashion than previous seasons?
Absolutely, purely based on the people who came on the show as guest judges. We had designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Zac Posen. When you have the president of the CFDA on, the quality is obviously elevated.
Who would be your dream guest judge?
Linda Evangelista. She's one of the greatest models in our time — I think she would be extraordinary.
Are you recognized more frequently since becoming a judge on ANTM?
Of course they do, but I'm thrilled with it. I love when people come up to me in airports. As long as they're polite, I don't mind at all.
What's up next for you after Fashion Week?
I'm going to take up tennis again and bring my Louis Vuitton outfits back out. I'm researching clubs and tennis coaches in Westchester — I need a pro.
VogueGirl8910
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US Vogue November 1992
"Grand Illusions"
Model: Carla Bruni
Photographer: Helmut Newton
Fashion Editor: André Leon Talley
Scanned by MissIvana
"Grand Illusions"
Model: Carla Bruni
Photographer: Helmut Newton
Fashion Editor: André Leon Talley
Scanned by MissIvana
VogueGirl8910
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US Vogue December 1990
"Romantic Gestures"
Models: Stephanie Roberts & Susan Holmes
Photographer: Ellen von Unwerth
Fashion Editor: Andre Leon Talley
Scanned by MissIvana
"Romantic Gestures"
Models: Stephanie Roberts & Susan Holmes
Photographer: Ellen von Unwerth
Fashion Editor: Andre Leon Talley
Scanned by MissIvana
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