Few loom taller in haute-couture circles than André Leon Talley, and not just because he’s 6-foot-6. A front-row fixture at fashion shows in New York, Paris and Milan for a quarter of a century, he grew up poor and bullied in Durham, NC, raised by his grandmother. He found his vocation at Vogue, working closely with Anna Wintour before heading off to helm Numero Russia magazine.
What turns him on? “I am excited about Tom Ford’s spring summer collection,” Talley says. “He inspires me for his sense of perfect control, yet there is this Southern homeboy humility in him, especially when he shows you pictures of his son, just a year old this September.”
Hear more when Talley speaks at the 92nd Street Y on Tuesday. Here’s what’s in his library.
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
I grew up reading this every Thanksgiving. His relationship to his aunt Sook was similar to the one I had with my grandmother, who raised me in a humble home but with great love. One must never forget where one comes from. You can still become a great person with the love of an aunt, a grandmother, an uncle, a mentor.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
A searing account of what it was like to be whipped, owned, shackled and yet find your freedom and become a great statesman and one of the greatest men of African-American history. It gives one courage and hope. One must never forget how the world treated my ancestors who helped built this great country, the USA.
First Lady of Versailles by Lucy Norton
A great historical book on the Duchesse de Bourgogne, who left her home in Italy at age 11 to become the future queen of France. I love this book for the very narrative of excess and the extravagance of Versailles, a lifestyle that seems drawn from a fairy tale: the balls, the protocols, the ceremonial addiction to every moment.
Irreverent by Carine Roitfeld
I aspire to be a visionary, and Carine Roitfeld, with her beautiful fashion books, is a visionary fashion empress. She inspires everyone: Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Riccardo Tisci. She got Tischi to direct a photo session of Kim Kardashian that is totally original, poetic and compelling.