THE CHIFFON TRENCHES by ANDRE LEON TALLEY : MISTRESS MANIFESTO BOOK REVIEW

 

He was six foot seven and followed a dream. Doors opened for him, one especially held open by Diana Vreeland, so that Talley, who went to college in love with all things French and aimed to be a writer in the fashion world could succeed, though a Black man from the South, and often the singular representative of his race. 

Talley has passed since this book was published. Born in 1928, he died of a heart attack at age January 18, 2022. The man was considerably obese as a result of food addiction and compulsive eating.  In this book he talks about how he got so, the interventions by his friends, the attempts to lose the weight, and eating as a substitute for ever having a partner. Lap band surgery did not work for him. Because of his weight, he took to wearing caftans and big coats over custom made suits. In that way, he accepted himself as a man of size and became known outside the closed world of the great designers. 

Although interviewers and the press seemed to focus on his professional and personal relationship with Vogue editor Anna Wintour revealed in this book, there is quite a bit in this book about his relationships with other designers and the fashionistas, such as Lee Bouvier Radizwill, First Lady Jackie Kennedy's sister, who he calls a best friend, and his long time professional and personal relationship with designer Karl Lagerfeld.

He is forthright and dishy, and can't help but drop names, after all these were the people he worked with and knew personally. Anyone who adores reading around the world of luxury will find this memoir a page turner. One may find themselves longing for just a taste of what it is like to have friends so rich that they can send you over to Paris on the Concorde or gift you thousands of pairs of shoes over the years.

It takes creativity, vision, fortitude, and business savvy to make it to the top of the fashion trenches and there are a few - Diane Von Furstenburg comes to mind - who seemed to have gone away but made it back again. Talley takes credit where it is due, and he gives credit where it is due. Both Lagerfeld and Wintour were capable of jettisoning people who were no longer useful to them.  It was his displeasure to be ghosted.

On page 93, Talley says,  "At Chanel's haute couture show in January 1998, inspired by Misia Sert, a true friend of Mademoiselle Chanel, I said to Anna (Wintour): "We must stand up and applaud Karl."  Karl (Lagerfeld) had returned to the famous rue Cambon salon and we were packed in like sardines.  I bolted to my feet and Anna Wintour sat there, as she was expected to do, as editor in chief of Vogue.

A note to my readers:

MISIA SERT : THREE MARRIAGES - THIRD TO TO JOSE MARIA SERT : THE ACCOMMODATION OF A YOUNGER WIFE   was the subject here at Mistress Manifesto for July 2019

DIANE VON FURSTENBURG was Honorary Mistress of the Month for December 2018.

Check those out in my archives!

C 2022 Mistress Manifesto BlogSpot

PS: The Documentary film The Gospel According to Andre is also worth seeing!