Andre Leon Talley

André Leon Talley is at the top of the fashion food-chain. You'll see André at most of the top fashion shows and every fashion week. André Leon Talley is the editor-at-very large for Vogue magazine and has been front-row regular at... [more]

André Leon Talley is at the top of the fashion food-chain. You'll see André at most of the top fashion shows and every fashion week.

André Leon Talley is the editor-at-very large for Vogue magazine and has been front-row regular at fashion shows in New York, Paris and Milan for over 25 years. According to Wikipedia, he uses his influence to promote dozens of young fashion designers. He mentors young talent in other fields as well. His most famous pairings of late have been with designers Tracy Reese, Rachel Roy, and singer/actress Jennifer Hudson.

André Leon Talley was raised in Durham, North Carolina by his grandmother Bennie Davis. Even though he did not live in the lap of luxury, his grandmother's fastidious attention to detail gave him an "understanding of luxury." He escaped lackluster Durham through the gripping pages of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. After attending college in North Carolina, Mr Talley received his master's degree in French from Brown University. While at Brown, Mr. Talley befriended students from the nearby Rhode Island School of Design and often went on weekend trips to New York City. He is associated with former American Vogue editor-in-chief and Costume Institute consultant, Diana Vreeland.

In the mid 2000's, an intervention was initiated by Anna Wintour, to get Talley to lose weight. As seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he eventually lost a great deal of weight, and was eating healthier.