NEW YORK — When André Leon Talley died on Jan. 18, 2022, the bustling fashion world came to a standstill. The Durham, North Carolina, native was a trailblazer, the first Black creative director at Vogue, and to this day is the highest-ranking Black person to have been listed on the Vogue U.S. masthead. It is because of Talley that we can thrive in fashion, a sentiment that many Black industry leaders have echoed.
A public figure who was often described as larger-than-life, towering at 6’6” with an unmistakable booming voice, 73-year-old Talley was a private person. Fashion functioned as an armor — clothes caressing Talley from the callous racism and homophobia that his white counterparts spewed at him — but also as a means of expression and extravagance.
There are 68 lots of his belongings — marvelous caftans, his Louis Vuitton trunk collection, personalized Birkin bags, Versace shirts and more — available for online bidding until Thursday. Proceeds will be split between his home churches, the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Durham.
His impeccable taste shined through his robust luggage collections, crocodile and alligator coats from Prada and simple pleasures such as his boating hats. Grand portraits of him and photographers with figures such as Andy Warhol and Oprah lined the walls, displaying Talley in all of his excellence.
When the “fashion sale of the century” was announced, the internet was ablaze with opinions about the preservation of Black art, Black fashion history and our elders. Questions arose about whether our beloved icons’ belongings should even be on display for public consumption, the white gaze and consumerism, and most importantly, who would end up owning his most prized possessions.
Would they be treated with care, and would wealthy white bidders understand the importance of Talley’s possessions? If items are unsold, how would they be preserved? As thought-provoking as those perennial questions are, Talley’s wishes are of the utmost importance, and to be honored above all else.
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