Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has addressed her “complicated” relationship to the late Andre Leon Talley in her tribute to him on magazine's website.
The long serving editor-in-chief of Vogue - a position she has held since 1988 - issued a statement honouring the magazine’s former creative director following his death aged 73 on 18 January, but she also admitted to having frosty moments with the fashion icon.
In a statement shared on the fashion bible's website, the 72-year-old star said: “Like many decades-long relationships, there were complicated moments, but all I want to remember today, all I care about, is the brilliant and compassionate man who was a generous and loving friend to me and to my family for many, many years, and who we will all miss so much.”
Andre - who boasted many roles such as the Paris Bureau Chief of Women’s Wear Daily, fashion editor at Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, long-time trusted confidant of Karl Lagerfeld and apprentice to Diana Vreeland - gave his side of the rift between him and the former ‘House and Garden’ editor-in-chief in his 2020 memoir “The Chiffon Trenches”.
He branded her “ruthless” and unable of “simple human kindness” after cutting him - allegedly without telling him - from his legendary interview gig on the steps of the Met Gala and replacing him with a YouTube star, Liza Koshy.
He also claimed his role was cut for being too “old, overweight, uncool.”
However, a source told Page Six that the Conde Nast executive and the former “America’s Next Top Model” judge made amends before his recent passing.
They said: “I do know they did make up, that their relationship was repaired recently — after everything that happened."
In her statement, Anna added: “The loss of Andre is felt by so many of us today: the designers he enthusiastically cheered on every season, and who loved him for it; the generations he inspired to work in the industry, seeing a figure who broke boundaries while never forgetting where he started from; those who knew fashion, and Vogue, simply because of him; and, not forgetting, the multitude of colleagues over the years who were consistently buoyed by every new discovery of Andre’s, which he would discuss loudly, and volubly — no one could make people more excited about the most seemingly insignificant fashion details than him.”