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Andre Leon Talley’s funeral was attended by Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, Kimora Lee Simmons, Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, and more. Friends and family gathered at the the late fashion icon’s longtime house of worship, The Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.
Talley was fashion icon and former longtime creative director for Vogue. He died at the age of 73, after battling an unknown illness. His legacy will live forever. He was inspiration to many designers, writers, and everyone involved in the world of fashion. Talley paved the way for many and made an undeniable impact in the industry, known as a pioneer surrounding himself and collaborating with iconic figures, such as Andy Warhol and Karl Lagerfeld.
Paula Wallace, The Founder and President of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) spoke during Mr. Talley’s memorial. Mr. Talley and Paula were good friends. He was on the Board of Trustees at SCAD, and he was given an honorary doctorate from the university during his lifetime. She spoke of the love he had for his family, fashion and faith.
In her remarks, Wallace shared “of all the many places André journeyed throughout his life—from the House of Dior to the White House—he was always at home in church. He and I often shared favorite hymns, and André would exhort me to “stay prayed up”. He once wrote about attending services in an ancient German cathedral. He must have appeared quite ecclesiastic. Everyone assumed I was a priest, he said.”
Along with others from the fashion world, Anna Wintour paid her respects to the longtime Vogue editor. To honor Talley, she dressed in a somber yet fashion-forward suit that fit the mood of the service. In addition, Wintour delivered an emotional heartfelt speech at Talley’s funeral. A source who attended the service told Page Six. “But what took her over was when she told the story about Andre crossing the Atlantic to be with her when her mother died.” The source told us, “Her words were: ‘He crossed the Atlantic to be with me when my mother died,’ and that’s when she welled up.”
The MET Gala is just around the corner and Wintour is getting ready to host one of the biggest nights in fashion. Her pre-Met Gala party in New York was attended by Vanessa Hudgens and Blake Lively among other famous celebrities.