'André Leon Talley: Fashion Luminary, Mentor, Friend of SCAD'

“I’d like to be remembered as someone who made a difference in the lives of young people—that I nurtured someone and taught them to pursue their dreams and their careers, to leave a legacy.”
—André Leon Talley (1948–2022)

André Leon Talley was a luminary in the fashion world. Raised by his grandmother in the South during the Jim Crow era, Talley moved to New York in the 1970s. He worked for the famed editor Diana Vreeland at the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, had a stint at Interview Magazine with Andy Warhol, became the Paris bureau chief for WWD, and by the late 1980s was named creative director at Vogue,later serving as the magazine’s editor-at-large from 1998 to 2013.Talley’s impressive career as a fashion journalist spanned six decades. His impeccable eye, immense knowledge of fashion history and design, and willingness to speak his mind made him an invaluable force in the industry.

At SCAD, Talley found a warmth and appreciation that the fashion world often lacked. The vitality of the students invigorated him, and he shared his knowledge and connections freely. In 2001, SCAD honored Talley with a Lifetime Achievement Award in fashion. The following year, this honor was re-named the André Leon Talley Award, which gave Talley the power to recognize his contemporaries, inviting the recipients to SCAD to share their experiences with students.

Over the years, SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace cultivated a friendship with Talley and together they dreamed of infusing fashion into the SCAD Museum of Art. Talley began curating exhibitions and facilitated donations to acquire garments for the museum’s permanent collection. Talley was also bestowed with his own namesake gallery at SCAD MOA, and he was integral in realizing President Wallace’s dream of SCAD FASH. His generosity was undeniable, and his legacy will continue to inspire our students and community for years to come. SCAD is forever grateful.

SCAD FASH commemorates Talley’s life and legacy with an installation featuring video, photographs, and a bespoke garment from SCAD’s permanent collection created for Talley by designer Ralph Rucci.

The exhibition is curated by Alexandra Sachs, executive director of SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film.