New York Fashion Week kicks off this Friday, and it will be without the 6’6 pioneering figure’s presence and vast encyclopedia of fashion history. To celebrate and highlight the decades-long career of the fashion legend, EBONY Magazine unveiled a special February digital cover illustrated by Chicago artist Brandon Breaux; Breaux had also designed John Lewis’ book cover art.
For the tribute to Mr. Talley, EBONY tapped business mogul and model Kimora Lee Simmons – Mr. Talley’s longtime friend – for an exclusive tribute to the creative force, as told to journalist Marjon Carlos.
The Baby Phat CEO detailed her friendship with the man she’s known since the beginning of her modeling career. She dives deeper, sharing moments of how Mr. Talley, known as “the only one,” introduced her to art and architecture and the times he dressed her for the Met Gala. While he is probably best known for his time at Vogue, André had served as a fashion editor at EBONY in the early 1980s, recalling the magazine as a “safe haven” that openly welcomed him and made him feel like family.
With this issue, EBONY’s editor & SVP of Programming Marielle Bobo wanted to take readers beyond the headlines and honor one of its most special alumni who went on to leave a lasting global cultural impact and influence that remains unmatched within our community. As Bobo put it, “He was a culture maker, a culture shifter, and a ceiling breaker. I, along with countless other Black journalists, stand directly on his shoulders as a lasting testament to his legacy. As we celebrate Black History Month and prepare for Fashion Week this February, we had to take this opportunity to honor this man who was Black excellence and achievement personified – a true one-of-one.”
Below, we’ve pulled a few quotes from Kimora’s tribute that will forever speak to the legacy that the southern rooted young boy turned prominent figure left behind.
“There were a few [Black people in fashion], like Patrick Kelly, but André is one of the very few. And coming from the Deep South and just living in that time, and being able to stand on his own two feet and ascend to all the greatness he did… I realized that he’s kind of like a godfather [to me]. We’re like family.”
“We’re always holding each other, kissing, whispering, giggling, covering the mouth, giving a side-eye. Oh, my God! We had code names for everybody in the industry. Life with André was like a kiki—a kiki of the classics.”
“He lived at the intersection of music, fashion, and media–including hip-hop culture. All of your favorite hip-hop glitterati sought him out as a conduit between urban culture and stylists, editors, and designers. That was one of his great gifts—cross-pollination.”
“Fashion owes him a lot. He was one of the only Black people at Vogue forever. One of the only. To me, he is like Anna Wintour. To me, he is alongside Karl Lagerfeld or Yves Saint Laurent. He’s not necessarily a designer, but he’s a creative.”
For more highlights and coverage on André Leon Talley, visit EBONY.com.
