Going through the airport recently on his way to Atlanta , fashion icon Andre Leon Talley found himself the center of attention.
Some were longtime fans who knew of him from his years at Vogue magazine. Others had only recently learned about the North Carolina-born fashion figure from the highly-acclaimed documentary, “The Gospel According to Andre.”
“I’m humbled and honored,” said Talley during a phone interview before he participated in a recent Meals on Wheels Atlanta fundraiser. “Of course, I’m flattered. People were so warm and inviting.”
The conversations continued on the plane.
Known for his quick wit, Talley seemed truly amazed by the attention, which is surprising given his stature in the world’s fashion industry.
“They know my name now,” he said, without the least bit of braggadocio. “All those wonderful people on Delta were happy to see me.”
Talley is hard to ignore anyway . He stands at six-foot-plus and is usually seen in beautiful, flowing caftans.
Talley said he decided to participate in the Meals on Wheels event in part because he applauds the nonprofits good work helping people in need, but also because of his connections to Atlanta.
One of Meals on Wheels supporters is Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) founder, Paula Wallace, one of his very close friends.
He has mentored SCAD students and in 2000, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from SCAD, which has since be renamed in his honor.
The SCAD Museum of Art features a gallery named in his honor.
He hopes people will be motivated to give back. “It’s the very thing we need,” he said. “We need a break from the discordant world in which we live. There are horrible things happening in our country and democracy. I hope this inspires people to be kind to each other.”
He’s been featured in numerous documentaries about others, now it was time to tell his story.
It’s been shown on Delta Air Lines flights around the world. “I hope it will be educational for people,” he said. He hopes it will encourage people to follow their dreams. “I did and it came true.”The documentary gives people a close and personal look into Talley’s world, that began Durham, N.C., where he was raised by his grandmother.
Many women in his life served as fashion mentors and he learned a great deal about style from church.
He’s satisfied with the documentary but at times, opening up as he did, it seemed intrusive .
“ I was terribly annoyed,” at times, he said.
Sometimes it felt like a therapy session
“It drummed up memories and emotions from my childhood and my youth ,” Talley said.
He was impressed by filmmaker Kate Novack, from her surreptitiously watching him over time, to her attention to detail.
If Talley was concerned about a documentary that focused on how many capes he had, he needn’t have worried.
Novack interviewed relatives and old friends.
She had Brown University, where Talley earned a master’s degree, send her a copy of his thesis.
They journeyed to Durham and went to the church he used to attend, to the graveyard and his high school. She talked to high school friends and even his old English teacher.
“It was very difficult when I went there (to Durham, where he still has a home),” he said. “It was annoying and too invasive. She wanted to be in my grandmother’s house and I hadn’t been in my grandmother’s house in a long time.”
He seems irked that some of that footage was left on the cutting room floor, especially that of a few friends.
“But you have to edit,” he lamented.
Today, he’s very comfortable in the industry.
He advises those who want to follow in his footsteps to do their homework and listen to industry veterans.
“Never be too proud to make a Starbucks run or go to Dunkin’,” he said. “You must listen in order to lean. Listen to the mentors.”
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