André Leon Talley, Vogue Editor And Fashion Industry Icon, Dies At 73

André Leon Talley, the fashion editor and television personality who became one of the most influential experts on style, died on Tuesday at the age of 73 from a heart attack stemming from COVID-19 complications.

Creating A Presence: Born on Oct. 16, 1948, in Washington, D.C., Talley experienced segregation during his formative years but sought to move beyond the racially limiting parameters of the era. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in French literature from North Carolina Central University in 1970 and attended Brown University on scholarship to earn a master of arts degree.

Although he initially planned to pursue a career as a French teacher, his focus shifted when he landed an unpaid internship in 1974 to work with Diana Vreeland on a fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Vreeland, who was an editor for Vogue magazine, had a reputation for being a formidable and demanding personality, but she admired Talley and arranged for him to land work as a receptionist with Andy Warhol's Interview magazine and the artist’s Factory studio.

Talley would later secure editorial positions at Women’s Wear Daily, W and the New York Times Co NYT before arriving at Vogue, where he made history as the publication’s first Black male creative director.

A Media Star: During the 2000s, Talley became a household name through multiple appearances on television, including a judging gig on “America’s Next Top Model.” He authored the 2003 autobiography “A.L.T.: A Memoir,” advised the Obama family on fashion during the 2008 presidential campaign and hosted a show on SiriusXM Holdings Inc SIRI.

Talley was the subject of the 2018 documentary “The Gospel According to André” and authored a second autobiography "The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir" in 2020 that offered a harsh look at his experiences with racist attitudes within the fashion world and his often-difficult relationship with Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.

Talley, who stood 6-foot-6 and favored brightly-hued capes and extravagant jackets, was never married and rejected efforts in the media to label him as being a gay man, telling a 2013 Vanity Fair interview that he had “never been in love with a man” and was only in relationships with “two women” — although he altered his orientation in a 2018 interview on Wendy Williams’ talk show.

“No, I’m not heterosexual,” he said. “I’m saying I’m fluid in my sexuality, darling.”

Photo: Screen shot of Talley in a 2016 appearance on "The Wendy Williams Show."