“The Chiffon Trenches,” A Memoir By Andre L Talley, is Set to Release On May 19
“The Chiffon Trenches,” a memoir by @andreltalley is set to release on May 19. Mr. Talley’s book will discuss his experience in the fashion industry, working at Vogue and his tumultuous relationship with high-powered editor in chief at Vogue, Anna Wintour.
Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SCAD
Former creative director and contributing editor at Vogue Magazine, Andre Leon Talley, is releasing his memoir entitled The Chiffon Trenches on May 19, 2020. Talley recently interviewed with Daniel Bates at dailymail.com, discussing the details of the book along with some very detailed information regarding his friendship with Vogue’s editor in chief, Anna Wintour. Prior to this interview, Mr. Talley had mainly spoken positively about his experience at Vogue and as Anna Wintour’s dear friend. Nonetheless, several sources have noted that Talley’s time working in high fashion consisted of many brutal, unjust and cruel moments.
In order to fully understand his experience in the fashion industry, it’s important to know his background. The former editor was raised primarily by his grandmother, in North Carolina where he attended the historically black North Carolina Central University and graduated with a degree in French Literature. He then received a Master of Arts in French Literature from Brown University, which he notes as being one of the most liberating times of his life. Prior to attending Brown, Talley had already been obsessing over the glossy pages of French Vogue, read a lot of literature surrounding fashion history and was set to become an editor once realizing he could have success in fashion journalism. After graduating with his master’s degree, he moved to NYC and worked a series of jobs until he worked his way up, becoming the first black male creative director at a Conde Nast publication.
Photo: AFP/Bryan Bedder
When Wintour appointed Talley as creative director at Vogue, the two started developing a very close relationship. According to dailymail.com, Anna even expressed concerns about Andre Leon Talley’s health to the extent of scheduling an intervention for his weight. However, in the interview, the former editor notes that Anna Wintour is “not capable of simple human kindness.,” and that their “decades-long friendship ended because he was too old, overweight, and uncool.” Andre Leon Talley hasn’t been the only person speaking out on his experience at Conde Nast. Other industry sources within the industry, such as Ralph Rucci, recently made an Instagram post stating that he too had emotional scars from his interactions with the Ice Queen. All of the recent news surrounding Mrs. Wintour and her relational dynamics with those she was once very close with raises questions about if The Devil Wears Prada, a film whose main character is intended to emulate the role of Anna Wintour, is an accurate reflection of high fashion work culture. In Talley’s interview with dailymail.com, he states that although there was no distasteful tossing of coats to assistants, many of the staff were met with great trepidation while working with Wintour.
But Talley’s relationship with her is only a portion of what will be highlighted in The Chiffon Trenches. The memoir will also discuss how he’s essentially been blacklisted from the who’s who of high fashion because he made the decision to leave Vogue due after hitting a “glass ceiling.” Talley saw that there was no room for him to grow and has gone on to pursue other curatorial and journalistic endeavors. He currently lives in Westchester Country, where he lives what he describes as a fairly lonely life. One of the benefits of Andre Leon Talley speaking openly about his relationship with Wintour and the industry at large is that people who otherwise wouldn’t be involved in the conversation, are now involved. It’s further democratizing the industry and I’m curious to see how it responds.
Report: Julian Randall
Fade x Kanye West x Teyana Taylor
FADE x Kanye West x Teyana Taylor
In case you missed the debut of Kayne West's "Fade" music video starring Teyana Taylor, we have the full video.
We love the way the video was premiered for the first time during the MTV Video Music Awards, along with the creative concept. The sex appeal of Teyana Taylor mixed the 80's vibe of dancer in the gym was phenomenal.
Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Delve Deep into Culture Of & Carley Simone's World
Vintage fabrics, health & wellness and a forever-giving culture: welcome to Carley Simone's world.
“I’m a true advocate for health & wellness. You need to take care of yourself. That’s what I want my life’s work to be. ”
I took a break from behind the scenes to sit down with Carley Simone, founder of Culture Of: Bodega. Culture Of is a creative online bodega located in Philadelphia, PA. The name stemmed from Carley's studies in college, influenced by the culture of people. Culture Of: Bodega meant to suggest it could be the culture of anything; a store that could be the culture of anything. I was immediately intrigued by the concept of the name alone. Many times, especially in today's fashion you catch people trying to push clothes with no story or meaning. Those easily convinced latch on without question, making it harder for true creatives. The grand scheme of Culture Of will eventually branch out into health & wellness, possibly even food. Carley hopes to create a hub for all things life and creativity with the help of her business partner, Trey; an artist as well.
Typically considering herself a school girl, Carley Simone didn't feel the same connection at college. Since the 5th grade she has always known she'll complete school and go on to a university. She felt like a failure without the connection, but realizing that wasn't true she moved to the next step. "I don't believe black excellence is limited to a degree." Taking a break from college, Carley figured this was the perfect opportunity to get to know herself better and pursue her dreams. Using the time to focus on her health and regaining confidence, Carley had the chance to step back and take life in.
The next step was quitting her job, Carley took a leap of faith. She decided that now was as good a time as any to conquer her dreams of owning a store. (A very new store, one month old.) Yet despite the small space of time the brand has already had a very positive response. "It's overwhelming, you want a positive response and everything just happened so fast." At the moment, she even has trouble keeping an inventory due to the high interest. Majority of the site items come from other thrift stores, closet close outs and her grandma's closet. This helps keep the authenticity of the vintage clothing. The brand plans to accept donations to help open up the inventory as well. Carley's dream is to have a thrift store on Baltimore Avenue. Culture Of hopes to one day become much more accessible to the community. With a store front or studio space, she wants to create a place for young creatives to have photoshoots, parties or a general hang-out.
Once a definition fashionista, Carley used to devote time to piecing together outfits. Her style has since changed to much more relaxed and comfortable. Her new mantra advocates for being comfortable in your own skin, she no longer feels the need to dress for others. Her latest project, a T-Shirt Dress Line stems from this. The new line is set to debut at an upcoming fashion show she's co-hosting with the brand Minkless (Handmade Jewelry). When asked about designing for a celebrity, she said creating a bad ass t-shirt dress for Solange Knowles is definitely a goal.
After learning about her aspirations, we changed lanes to speak about where she manifest inspiration. The honesty was overwhelming. Carley Simone didn't hesitate to share that much of her inspirations comes from being poor. "I don't live in poverty, but I'm definitely a lower class citizen." She explains that not being able to afford things, pushed her to create them herself. It even gives her a sense of accomplishment. Other inspirations comes from youth culture and the dynamic voices that aren't afraid to demand more. The boldness the everyday life gives off much to explore. "I live for that. I might make some jeans that are wild and crazy. Or I might make something that's super chic and simplistic. It all comes from watching people do whatever they want to do."
A word of inspiration from Carley Simone: "I had someone tell me the art community is too competitive, you can never make it. I think everybody has their own lane, the world is built in such a way that you are designed in the imagine of other people. Me and you might not be carbon copies, but we both like chokers. So we're a creative hub from chokers; it's very small. But in big numbers you can create your own lane for anything, you just have to be yourself. Trust that the universe will reveal other people and a path for you to follow. I truly believe that. I believe that I'm going to be successful in what I do. Judge your success by your own standards."
In her free time, she gets into painting, stencil work and occasionally graphic design. "I model. Haha, I'll put that in quote. But I mostly just style now." She has her hands in many different things. She also has passion for the creative direction, the details and angles of things sparks interest for her.
Transparency. I can truly say that Carley Simone opened up and was unapologetically herself. I enjoy face to face interviews for this exact reason. People feel that in interviews they have to convey a rehearsed image of themselves to look good for others or that professionalism needs to be over the top. In all honesty for lifestyle interviews, the more unedited, the better. If I wanted to find out about a more toned down version of somebody, then chances are I can visit their social media profiles. In these, interviews I'm looking to learn about a person the world might not know.
As for Culture Of, the brand has a lot of photo shoots planned and as their schedule clears up they plan to become involved with more events.
Follow Culture Of: Bodega on Instagram for more information.
Curated by: NKC, Creative Director
The Complete Guide to Filthy Rich Aesthetics
What happens when you mix street wear with archtectual design concepts..
Up and coming fashion designer, Mohammed Cherif will be showcasing Filthy Rich Aesthetics at Wildfire: The Series. The event, taking place April 30th, is aimed at providing a platform for emerging creatives and artists to showcase their designs and talents.
The concept of Filthy Rich Aesthetics (FRA) started while Mohammed was in high school. His clique at the time was called Filthy Rich Boys so the name carried over to his brand. Built on frustration, FRA turned in a clothing brand the year Mohammed was set to graduate college. It was during his senior year at Temple University, when Mohammed realized that he did not want a regular nine to five job. “On the verge of graduation, thinking about career options, I realized that I didn’t want to work a job that was routine or meaningless to me.” Stemming from his success thus far he encourages other creatives to pursue their dreams now, not later.
“There is never going to be a right time or enough money, but if you have a vision just do everything in your power to make that a reality.”
The FRA brand’s mission is to be clean, casual, and simple. Filthy Rich Aesthetics is a true street wear clothing brand. The brand pulls inspiration from their environment and the life experiences of the brand founder. The aesthetics of the clothing are met to be a continuation of the inspiration invested in them; with hopes that new concepts bud. Music and art play a major part in the designs as well. The clothing brand distinguishes itself from others by focusing on the quality of their clothes. In order to create a lasting relationship with consumers, the brand ensures that each piece is always up to par. Right now only T-shirts are available, but he anticipates releasing a body of work that includes hats, jackets, pants, and joggers.
In the coming year, you can expect to see Filthy Rich Aesthetic throughout the city. The brand plans to attend many pop-up shops and host personal events through out the summer. You can also catch them at Wildfire: The Series. Learn more about Filthy Rich Aesthetics on their Instagram - @fr_aesthetics.
Quick Q & A with Filthy Rich Aesthetics
Where do you see your brand in a year?
Being a new brand I am only doing T-shirts right now. In a year I want to be able to produce more than T-shirts. I want to release a whole body of work including T-shirts, hats, jackets, pants, joggers etc. Raise awareness about my brand, doing more and building certain relationships to take it to the next level.
How would you describe your overall style?
My overall style is clean and simple. I design for everyday people so my style is very casual. I want people to be able to wear my clothes in an everyday setting. I want to be able to wear my products for almost any occasion and would never have to question if it’s inappropriate, offensive, or make them feel like that can’t wear my clothing in certain settings.
If you could collaborate with any fashion house, who would it be?
If I can collaborate with any designer, who will it be? Why? This is a difficult question for me because there are so many brands and designers that I’ll be honored to work with. It’s so many brands that I love and support that I cannot just pick one. Honestly, I would love to work with Bape, Offwhite, Supreme, Stussy, 10 deep etc. because I love their products, and I think I can learn a great deal working with these brands. It’s just hard to pick just one.
Curated by Niani Patterson (nianipatterson@aol.com)
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.