The Gospel According to André
By Victoria Editor
“Excellence without an excuse.”
Talley's life's story is one of triumph in self-actualization, temerity, and faith. "There is a moral code to dressing well," he states as he looks over the grounds of his manicured estate. Standing at nearly 7 feet, André Leon Talley recounts his life from childhood up until the 2016 presidential election cloaked in his signature caftan. The former editor-at-large of Vogue magazine grew up in the Jim Crow south--and like most Black children of that era, he lived with his grandmother. It was through her and her daily religious practices that he received his early lessons in fashion styling.
Benin Frances Davis, Talley's late grandmother
Young Black women at church in the 1950/60's
Black people found ways to live life authentically in spite of daily racist confrontation and life-threatening situations. To escape from this harsh reality, Black women found solace under the eyes of the Lord at church and expressed their sense of style to regain their pride. Flamboyant hats, tailored-at-home dresses, polished pumps, and perfectly coiffed hair comprised the recipe for what was known as one's "Sunday best." Talley’s style was greatly influenced by these women and refined by purveying the latest fashion magazines found at his local library. After high school, North Carolina proved too small to hold his big dreams and personality. He moved to Rhode Island to pursue his education, then took a chance at life by transitioning to New York City and working at Andy Warhol's Interview magazine upon graduation. Surrounded by equally experimental and quirky peers, it was here that André cultivated a fearlessness in dress and persona.
"Excellence without an excuse" defined Talley's career. Moving between New York City and Paris, the editor became a trusted voice in the industry—a difficult feat for a gay African-American man. His work quietly confronted discrimination through themes of role reversal, preservation of culture, and veneration of Black-American history. His rise to fame was wrought with rumors of sexual relationships with figures such as Diana Vreeland that threatened to end his career. From the archives of The Met, he expresses his disdain at being rumored to be a black buck*. He indirectly countered these attacks on his character with poise through his superior intellect and advocacy for black models and designers. "Success is the best revenge," he quotes.
André Leon Talley
The Met Gala, 1999
© Getty Images
Scarlett in the Hood
Vanity Fair, May 1996
Styling: André Leon Talley
The Gospel According to André is a self-portrait of prosperity. Set to a booming score of gospel music, we are taken through the succession of events that gave rise to an incredible voice within the industry. Talley's interpretation of fashion and style was born of the Baptist Christian community and fueled by a need to center the marginalized voices of the Civil Rights era. He "created his own universe" by simply never forgetting where he came from. Originally screened at the Toronto Film Festival, Kate Novack's documentary comes in at just over 90 minutes, providing us enough time to fall in love with Talley's quick wit and boyish gaiety. The film is essential to understanding how Black people have taken up space in a creative world that shut them out.
*Black buck is a racial slur from the post-Reconstruction era used to refer to African-American men seen as renegades who were sexually attracted to white women and were dangerous to society at large due to their clear defiance of white authority.