André Leon Talley, fashion icon and former Editor-at-Large of Vogue magazine, has died. He was 73 years old.
Sources close to Andre say he passed away Tuesday at a hospital in White Plains, New York.
At this time, it’s unclear why he was hospitalized and an official cause of death has not been made public.
More via TMZ:
Talley was instrumental to Vogue’s vision and direction in the ’80s and ’90s, when he worked his way up the magazine ranks to eventually become the news director — which he helmed from ’83 to ’87 — and then ascended to Vogue’s creative director in ’88.
He held that post for a good 7 or so years, and before long … he was heading up all of Vogue as the EAL — with a slight break in between — until 2013, when he left the company. Even after his official departure, however, he continued to contribute to Vogue in varying capacities … including podcast appearances.
ALT will perhaps be best remembered as a trailblazer in the fashion world — not just for his stylish flair, but for his push to include more POC on the runway … specifically, Black models.
His work and career speak for themselves … and so has his consulting work elsewhere, including being a stylist for the Obamas at one point during Barack’s presidency, and even serving as a judge on ‘America’s Next Top Model’ … among many other notable achievements, like his ‘SATC’ cameo and frequent Wendy Williams chats.
He has worked side by side with Anna Wintour — Vogue’s editor-in-chief — for decades … and is considered one of the first mainstream African-American tastemakers in the U.S. Andre was also an LGBT icon … although he never specifically said he was gay, but more fluid than anything in his sexuality.
RIP
