Recapping a Conversation with Fashion Icon André Leon Talley
A little over a week ago on Sunday, October 29th, I was in the midst of fashion royalty as I witnessed André Leon Talley being interviewed by Audrey Smaltz at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC. The event complimented the new Ebony Fashion Fair Exhibition entitled “Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair”, which covers the 50-year history charity fashion show from 1958-2009. The traveling show featured glamour and redefined the concepts of beauty, style and empowerment of African-Americans. Mrs. Eunice Johnson was the owner and visionary who enhanced the black community with this show, which mission raised funds for local charities. Smaltz was the voice of show for seven years, and is also the founder of The Ground Crew backstage management corporation. The star of the conversation, Talley, who is originally from Durham, NC came back home to have the conversation which was a treat for the local fashion community. Talley was raised by his grandmother, and began his career assisting Diana Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute and later wrote for Interview Magazine and Women’s Wear Daily, before joining Vogue as an editor in 1983. Early in his career, he was also fashion editor of Ebony. During the talk, he shared fascinating and funny behind-the-scenes stories of his days as editor at Ebony. He talked mostly about working with Mrs. Johnson traveling to Europe and New York, and how he also worked with the industry’s top fashion designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, etc. Later in the conversation Talley told us a funny story about working...
Mysterious Swag
Every look has a story, and today my story isn’t adventure, fantasy, romance, or suspense. It’s a mystery! Anyone who knows me knows I’m a hat connoisseur. A benefit of hat wearing is they create a mysterious effect for someone who knows how to wear one. As a fashion stylist and hat lover, one of my pet peeves is not doing a hat justice. It takes a certain amount of swag to pull off wearing a hat the right way, and if worn incorrectly they certainly can look corny. Aside from the most important purpose of wearing a hat which is to look fabulous and mysterious, hats also serve other important purposes such as covering up a bad hair day, and providing sun protection. Additionally hats can completely transform the look of an outfit with minimal effort, making them one of the best accessories ever invented in my opinion. Over the years I’ve heard people say they don’t think they can pull off wearing a hat or their head is too big to wear one. I have to disagree. There are all types of hats in the world, and just like clothes it’s just a matter of finding the right fit and style. I love assisting my clients with selecting the right hats to compliment their style. Once they realize hats look great on them, the possibilities are endless. Think of a hat like the bow on top of a present, or the icing on top of a cake. It’s the final finishing piece which brings it all together. When it comes to hats one bit of advice to...About Me
I remember at a very young age being mesmerized in my mother’s closet, and trying on her clothes which quickly became a hobby. As I grew older I not only enjoyed enhancing my look, but that of others, so the natural fit was to become a Fashion Stylist.
Recent Comments