Talley-ho says Manolo CEO

THE former CEO of Manolo Blahnik is fighting back against legendary Vogue editor André Leon Talley in their battle over a pricey Westchester mansion.

George Malkemus, who was the American CEO of the legendary shoe firm until 2019, and his partner Anthony Yurgaitis are seeking to evict Talley from the home they claim they own and he has been renting since 2004. They allege he is a deadbeat tenant and owes more than $515,000.

But Talley insists the home is his, saying he, Malkemus and Yurgaitis were once very close friends and that they had bought the mansion specifically for him. Plus, they had “a gentlemen’s agreement” that he’d be the owner once he’d paid back the full purchase price to Malkemus — who more recently partnered with Sarah Jessica Parker on her shoe collection.

Malkemus and Yurgaitis filed an eviction proceeding in White Plains City Court in November, insisting they wished to sell the house, where Talley had no right to be, and that he owes them $515,872.97 in arrears.

Then Talley, 72, launched legal action against the couple in January in Westchester Supreme Court, alleging they were trying to unfairly evict him from the palatial White Plains colonial property.

This week, Malkemus and Yugaitis fired back with their own counterclaim in Supreme Court, saying, “Despite making periodic rent payments through the years, Plaintiff fell drastically behind, failing not only to pay the $6,333.33 per month rent, but also failing to pay the real estate taxes and insurance,” adding the alleged amount Talley owes for those costs alone is $362,323.48.

The bitter high-end fashion fight has divided the industry, with some insiders backing Malkemus and other designers and fashionistas supporting Talley, whose team just asked designer Akeem Smith to return money to those who donated to a GoFundMe to help Talley in his legal battle.