A man for all fashion seasons
Fashion journalist, Vogue editorat-large and general bon vivant, Andre Leon Talley has led an outsized life these past 68 years. And while director Kate Novack (Page One: Inside the New York Times), may not plumb every facet of his life equally — her documentary focuses heavily on race but barely touches sexuality — it’s still a colourful look at a colourful character. Here are five things we learned from The Gospel According to Andre.
1 His grandma was a major force in his life
Talley was raised in Durham, S.C., by his grandmother, a stern, churchgoing woman who taught him to prize dignity, strive for excellence and practice rigour and discipline. She also gave him an early sense of fashion – among other things, she had hats for every occasion and season.
2 He found mentors and inspiration everywhere
Growing up in the Jim Crow South, Talley was moved by the words of Martin Luther King but also by free-living society hostess Lady Ottoline Morrell. He went thrift-shopping after hearing Barbra Streisand singing Second Hand Rose. And he learned how to speak French after hearing Julia Child use it on her cooking show. “I was inspired by people who dared to be daring,” he says.
3 He was a bit of a square in his university days
Talley says he didn’t get into the drug scene when he went to Brown University in Rhode Island. “Our passion was fashion,” he says of nights spent with at home with friends, concocting fabulous outfits. Later, when he moved to New York, he visited Studio 54, not for the infamous orgies or substance abuse. He went to dance.
4 He admitted his mistakes
He once went out on the town in a custom-made mauve alligator coat, topped with a turban. The pictures in the paper the next day convinced him it had been a bad combination. But the man loves his capes.
5 He rose above racism
In one of the more touching scenes in the movie, Talley tears up as he recalls comments from people who assumed that for a black man to make it in the fashion industry, he must have been sleeping his way to the top. But in the end he’s determined to let it all roll off him.