Christie’s New York is offering a unique and personal collection, which includes an array of André Leon Talley’s iconic clothing, jewellery, art, books and personal mementoes – which reflect the fashion editor’s decades-long relationships with fellow icons such as Karl Lagerfeld, Diane von Furstenburg, Tom Ford, Diana Vreeland and Anna Wintour.
The auction is a testament to his status as a trailblazer and fashion pioneer, with Talley the first Black man to hold the title of Creative Director of American Vogue. These pieces are not only an ode to his legacy but a representation of his eclectic taste and eye for beauty.
Photography courtesy Christie’s.
Photography courtesy Christie’s.
Photography courtesy Christie’s.
Photography courtesy Christie’s.
Photography courtesy Christie’s.
Photography courtesy Christie’s.
Photography courtesy Christie’s.
Talley had an obsession with Paris and French culture from a young age, which led him to earn a master’s degree in French literature from Brown University. After Brown, he moved to New York City to apprentice under Diana Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, as well as working with Andy Warhol on Interview magazine. His larger-than-life persona and distinctive personal style made him well known in the fashion industry from an early age.
All the items from the lot are currently open for bidding online, and a live sale will follow on 15 February. Money raised from the auction will benefit two central institutions in Talley’s life: the Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York, and the Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, where he first observed fashion as a form of expression during his childhood Sunday services.
