January 20, 2022 |
As the industry mourns the late André Leon Talley, who tragically passed away on Tuesday in New York, we thought it would be apt to share some of the editor’s most memorable quotes. With a sharp tongue and an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion, Talley will be remembered as one of our industry’s brightest stars.
“It is a moral code to dress well. Whatever your budget – you can wear a white shirt from Banana Republic and be well dressed.”
“I do believe there’s a heaven. I do believe that God has given me the resilience and the survival skills to withstand the chiffon trenches.”
“I only take risks in couture, but I don’t take risks in athleticism.”
“I have four bedrooms in my house. one is for guests, the other three are for closets.”
“Wearing clothes should be a personal narrative of emotion. I always respond to fashion in an emotional way.”
Photography by Andy Warhol
“People need to be edited; life needs to be edited. I need to be edited.”
“The zenith of elegance in any woman’s wardrobe is the little black dress, the power of which suggests dash and refinement.”
“I scorched the earth with my talent and I let my light shine.”
“It’s a famine of beauty, honey! My eyes are starving for beauty!”
“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.”
Top image by Michael Roberts.
Photography by Jonathan Becker
