Even in death, you can’t escape racist backhand remarks
21 January 2022
21 January 2022
Even in death, you can’t escape racist backhand remarks
Fashion icon and former Vogue editor André Leon Talley sadly passed away on Tuesday, aged 73. The devastating news broke to the disappointment of the entire fashion industry and the thousands of fans Talley had inspired over the years.
On hearing the news of his death, Vogue Global Content Director, and Condé Nast Global Content Adviser Anna Wintour, had some choice words to share in her statement..
“The loss of André is felt by so many of us today: the designers he enthusiastically cheered on every season, and who loved him for it; the generations he inspired to work in the industry, seeing a figure who broke boundaries while never forgetting where he started from… And, not forgetting, the colleagues over the years who were consistently buoyed along by every new discovery of André’s, which he would discuss loudly, and volubly.”
‘NEVER FORGETTING WHERE HE STARTED FROM’ – Maybe I’m reaching, but why is that when Black people rise to prominence, the assumption is they came from the gutter? By centering his early life, Ms Wintour wanted you to never forget that ‘affirmative action’ is real. As grandiose and larger-than-life he was, she inserted this phrase to humble and diminish him, his contributions, and ultimately his legacy. She wants to remind everyone that he was the exception, an anomaly, a rarity.
Watching the May ’20 interview with Tamron Hall, it’s obvious he endured microaggressions, he probably had to work harder and for longer than others to secure his various positions, ensuring he never got ‘above his station’ – paying him far less than his white counterparts!
I had to look up the word ‘VOLUBLY’ – how apt – it means to speak confidently, fluently, and forcibly. The ‘Pharaoh of Fabulosity’ was a flamboyant, towering Queer Black man – of course he was loud and confident, but the inference reeks of her disdain for him.
I’m not sure if the stress of his eviction case took a toll on his health, but if you’re an avid follower of fashion like me, this is a major loss.
Header Image: André Leon Talley. Photo credit: Squire Fox / August