<ul class="summary-list"><li>André Leon Talley, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/andre-leon-talley-former-vogue-creative-director-has-died-report-2022-1">died last week</a>, wasn't just a fashion icon — he was a champion of diversity.</li><li>A Black queer man, Talley made it a point to mentor and sponsor other artists of color.</li></ul><p>As Rihanna <a href="https://twitter.com/DearBelcalis/status/1483642081734283267">ascended the steps at the 2015 Met Gala</a> draped in a yellow Guo Pei fur-trimmed cape with a train that went on forever, the venerable fashion editor André Leon Talley waited to interview her.</p><p>"I love a girl from humble beginnings who becomes a big star," he said to a nearby camera. "It's like the American dream — that's how you do it."</p><p>Talley's words about Rihanna hold true about himself: He represented the American dream. Talley, the 6-foot-6 queer fashion icon <a href="https://www.insider.com/andre-leon-talley-former-vogue-creative-director-has-died-report-2022-1">who died last week</a>, withstood racism and homophobia throughout his life and rose to become Women's Wear Daily's Paris bureau chief, the first Black creative director and later editor-at-large at Vogue, a judge on "America's Next Top Model," an author, and the subject of a documentary, "The Gospel According to André."</p><p>Talley opened doors to make the American dream possible for others who'd historically been shut out of the fashion and entertainment world, and he was an outspoken advocate for diversity. He was almost always the only Black fashion critic in meetings (and was <a href="https://newsone.com/4279012/andre-leon-talley-quotes-race-fashion/">tokenized for it</a>). He was the target of racist slurs; fashionistas labeled him "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/19/style/andre-leon-talley-dead.html">Queen Kong</a>," and <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/andre-leon-talley-the-chiffon-trenches.html">LouLou de La Falaise</a>, Yves Saint Laurent's muse, called him the N-word. Fashion became his armor, he wrote in his 2020 memoir, "The Chiffon Trenches" — "the blinders I had to keep on in order to survive."</p><p>"He was a history maker," said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/culturetreesdesigns/">Judith Gaffney</a>, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. "He was one who pioneered and made space. Even though there wasn't space for him, he made space."</p><div type="image" title="Talley with Naomi Campbell during Tanqueray Sterling Ball in 1989." height="1631" width="2172" msid="89119960" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>A bastion of representation</strong></h2><p>For many Black designers, stylists, and creatives, Talley was the role model the fashion industry had so clearly lacked. As he made a name for himself in Paris and New York, he honed his sense of style. He consistently wore bold colors, loud accessories, and long capes. At fashion shows, he sat in the front row.</p><p>"There weren't any Black men who would sit in the front rows of these fashion shows. It was unheard of," Gaffney said. "It spoke volumes to people about diversity and inclusivity. He was sending a message: 'You can get a front-row seat if you're determined.'"</p><p>Talley spoke truth to power. In <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-historic-blackness-of-tyler-mitchell-and-beyonces-vogue-cover/2018/08/10/7d0a6078-9cbe-11e8-843b-36e177f3081c_story.html">a Washington Post column</a> about <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/tyler-mitchell-photographer-book-i-can-make-you-feel-good">Tyler Mitchell</a>, the first Black photographer to shoot a cover for Vogue — the September 2018 issue featuring Beyoncé — Talley praised the moment but pointed out how long it had taken the magazine to use a Black photographer for its cover. He lauded the editorial's cultural richness and its homage to the Black women who'd dreamed of gracing Vogue but never had the chance.</p><p>"It's been a long time coming, and it should be embraced, this unique moment 126 years into Vogue's legacy," Talley wrote.</p><p>Talley wasn't afraid to challenge industry icons or speak about the racism he experienced. In 2020 he told <a href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2020/09/andre-leon-talley-ma-72-speaks-on-racism-in-fashion-industry">a fashion student organization at Brown University</a> that Anna Wintour protected her white privilege at Vogue. That year he published "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chiffon-Trenches-Andr%C3%A9-Leon-Talley/dp/0593129253">The Chiffon Trenches</a>," in which he recalled his being beaten as a kid for being "in the white part of town."</p><p>"He was never supposed to be in the spaces he was in," said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kingsley-gbadegesin-fashion-designer-interview-2021-12">Kingsley Gbadegesin</a>, a fashion designer who's worked with the likes of Lil Nas X and Issa Rae. "I am so thankful for the brunt of all the work that he's done."</p><div type="image" title="André Leon Talley attends Calvin Klein Fall 2005 Fashion Show." height="1803" width="2400" msid="89119963" hostid="261"></div><h2>A loving and inclusive cultural icon</h2><p>Talley consistently created opportunities for others.</p><p>He cast Naomi Campbell as the Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone with the Wind" in a 1996 editorial for Vanity Fair; he called it "<a href="https://twitter.com/chbarnard/status/1483851821122793483">Scarlett 'N the Hood</a>." Talley mentored Campbell, and under his direction she became the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fashion-legend-andre-leon-talley-dies-at-74-editor-journalist">first Black woman</a> to grace the cover of Vogue's September issue — the largest and most important issue of the year.</p><p>As Michelle Obama's stylist, Talley introduced her to Jason Wu, then an emerging designer, who went on to design her inauguration gown. Talley also <a href="https://archive.vogue.com/article/2009/3/power-of-change-leading-lady">wrote her Vogue cover story</a> after she became the first lady. He never hesitated to congratulate Black artists on their achievements, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/01/19/andre-leon-talley-appreciation/">sending praise</a> to The Washington Post's critic-at-large Robin Givhan when she became the first person to win a Pulitzer for fashion writing.</p><p>Edward Enninful, the first Black editor-in-chief of a Vogue magazine, <a href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2020/09/andre-leon-talley-ma-72-speaks-on-racism-in-fashion-industry">said</a> Talley paved the way for him. The designer Marc Jacobs <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5i_ecs1Ds">said</a> Talley "championed" him, while Zac Posen <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5hsE1MCWk/">called</a> Talley his "fashion angel," adding that Talley's "belief in my work meant so much to me."</p><p>Talley was close with the "Saturday Night Live" star Leslie Jones; with George Malkemus III, the CEO of Manolo Blahnik; and with Rihanna. His impact wasn't limited to fashion — it was on pop culture at large, Gbadegesin said.</p><p>"He led with love," Gbadegesin said. "His influence knows no bounds."</p>

André Leon Talley: A life dedicated to inclusion

<ul class="summary-list"><li>André Leon Talley, who died Tuesday, blazed trails for Black queer Americans in <keyword id="11893303" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="fashion" source="Orion">fashion</keyword> journalism.</li><li>In the 1980s, Talley became the first Black man to be <keyword id="12062129" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vogue" source="Orion">Vogue</keyword>'s creative director.</li></ul><p>André Leon Talley, <a href="https://www.insider.com/andre-leon-talley-former-vogue-creative-director-has-died-report-2022-1">who died on Tuesday</a>, had a larger-than-life persona that was stamped all over the fashion industry.</p><p>Not only was he a trailblazer for Black queer Americans in fashion journalism — in the late 1980s he became the first African American man to be the creative director of Vogue — but his sarcastically candid demeanor captivated many.</p><p>In his 2020 memoir, "The Chiffon Trenches," Talley wrote about his rough upbringing, raised by his grandmother in Jim Crow-era North Carolina. He found ways to escape, including through trips to the public library in Durham — he would scan each page of Vogue and other fashion publications and absorb the latest designer collection releases.</p><p>After graduating from Brown University, Talley began his career working under Diana Vreeland, the acclaimed Vogue fashion editor.</p><p>Over his almost five-decade career he spent time at The New York Times, Women's Wear Daily, W Magazine, and Vogue before joining Numero Russia as its editor at large in 2013. For years he was the host of the Met Gala in New York City.</p><p><a href="https://www.shesfulloflit.com/blog/book-review-the-chiffon-trenches-by-andr-leon-talley">In his memoir</a>, Talley depicted his longtime boss <keyword id="12990657" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="anna-wintour" source="Orion">Anna Wintour</keyword>, Vogue's editor-in-chief, as a businesswoman who was not necessarily steeped in the history of the fashion industry or understanding of the plight of marginalized communities. He explained how he communicated to his peers like Wintour and the designer Karl Lagerfeld about hiring more people of color in fashion.</p><p>"My way of approaching diversity in the world of fashion was to communicate with the power of suggestion," Talley wrote. "I would not go up to Karl Lagerfeld and say, 'Where are the black models on your runway?' Instead, if I didn't see a moment of diversity, I would sit next to him and recommend girls who were missing. 'What about Naomi Campbell, wouldn't she look great in that suit?'"</p><p>Talley advised the Obama family on fashion while they were in the White House, and he <a href="https://www.allure.com/story/michelle-obama-jason-wu-farewell-address">introduced Michelle Obama</a> to Jason Wu, who designed her inaugural gown in 2009.</p><p>In 2018, Talley <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-historic-blackness-of-tyler-mitchell-and-beyonces-vogue-cover/2018/08/10/7d0a6078-9cbe-11e8-843b-36e177f3081c_story.html">wrote a Washington Post column</a> about the historic impact of Tyler Mitchell, the first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover in its 125-year history, for its September 2018 issue featuring Beyoncé.</p><p>When Talley departed Vogue for the second time, in 2013, he <a href="https://wwd.com/eye/other/qa-andr-leon-talley-6812513/">told WWD</a> that he and his Vogue colleagues "remain great friends." But Talley was said to have fallen out with Wintour in 2018 when he was dropped as the Met Gala's red-carpet host and was replaced by a YouTuber, Liza Koshy, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/andre-leon-talley-dead-at-73-1235077185/">according to The Hollywood Reporter</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Talley and Kristen McMenamy during fashion week in the 1990s" height="2400" width="3860" msid="89005986" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Talley at the Met Gala in 2011." height="2589" width="3453" msid="89005989" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Talley and Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour at the Zac Posen 2006 Spring show during Olympus Fashion Week." height="1898" width="2530" msid="89005991" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Talley and Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC in 1999" height="4653" width="2786" msid="89005994" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Talley at The Costume Institute Gala in 2009." height="3600" width="2400" msid="89005997" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Talley with Designer Jason Wu at Wu's fall show in 2009." height="2000" width="3000" msid="89005999" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Talley in 2010" height="1998" width="3000" msid="89006001" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Talley with Naomi Campbell during Tanqueray Sterling Ball in 1989." height="3000" width="2172" msid="89006004" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="André Leon Talley attends the Alt 365+ book party in 2005" height="2045" width="3000" msid="89006008" hostid="261"></div>

Photos show fashion icon André Leon Talley's larger-than-life influence on the industry

<ul class="summary-list"><li>André Leon Talley died on Tuesday at age 73 from unknown causes in a New York hospital. </li><li>Talley's former boss and friend, <keyword id="12990657" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="anna-wintour" source="Orion">Anna Wintour</keyword>, made a statement about his death on Wednesday. </li></ul><p>Fashion industry icon <a href="https://www.insider.com/andre-leon-talley-former-vogue-creative-director-has-died-report-2022-1">André Leon Talley died on Tuesday in White Plains, New York, at the age of 73</a>.</p><p>Talley's death was confirmed in a post shared on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5n_zVsLaR/">his Instagram page.</a> The post did not include a cause of death, but <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/andre-leon-talley-obituary">Vogue's obituary for Talley</a> states that he died from a heart attack. </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5n_zVsLaR" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <keyword id="12983644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="andre-leon-talley" source="Orion">Andre Leon Talley</keyword> (@andreltalley)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>Talley worked as <keyword id="12062129" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vogue" source="Orion">Vogue</keyword>'s creative director from 1987 to 1995, and then as the magazine's editor-at-large from 1998 to 2013. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Diane von Furstenberg, and Marc Jacobs expressed their condolences right after Talley's death was announced on Tuesday. However, statements from Vogue and Wintour were noticeably absent, which led to criticism on social media. </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/DPD_/status/1483795111637041152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1483795111637041152%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecut.com%2F2022%2F01%2Fvogue-tweets-andre-leon-talley.html">Variety's chief television critic Daniel D'Addario</a> tweeted that he hadn't seen any mention of Talley's death on Vogue's homepage at 8:34 a.m. on Wednesday. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Daniel D'Addario  (@DPD_) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1483795111637041152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Another Twitter user called out Vogue for tweeting as normal and saying nothing. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—roxane gay  (@rgay) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1483716464821428230?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Others tweeted that Vogue's silence about Talley's death was odd considering he worked at the brand for so many years. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—D. Danyelle Thomas  (@UnfitChristian) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1483781245184192513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2022</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Lee Radziwill  (@RadziwillLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1483668824003993601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2022</a></blockquote><p>On Wednesday, at around 10 a.m. ET, <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/andre-leon-talley-obituary">Wintour's statement</a> was shared on Vogue's website. </p><p>"The loss of André 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 André's, which he would discuss loudly, and volubly — no one could make people more excited about the most seemingly insignificant fashion details than him. Even his stream of colorful faxes and emails were a highly anticipated event, something we all looked forward to," she said. </p><p>Wintour added: "Yet it's the loss of André as my colleague and friend that I think of now; it's immeasurable. He was magnificent and erudite and wickedly funny — mercurial, too."</p><p>Despite working together for so many years, Wintour and Talley's relationship became publicly strained after his 2020 memoir, "<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609773/the-chiffon-trenches-by-andre-leon-talley/">The Chiffon Trenches</a>." In the book, Talley called Wintour "ruthless" and incapable of "human kindness," according to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/24/anna-wintour-ruthless-incapable-human-kindness-claims-ex-vogue/">The Telegraph</a>.</p><p>Wintour addressed their roller-coaster friendship in her statement, saying: "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."</p><div type="image" title="André Leon Talley became Vogue's first Black creative director in 1988." height="3000" width="1931" msid="89005980" hostid="261"></div><p>It is unclear where Talley and Wintour's relationship stood at the time of his death.</p><p>Representatives for Talley, Wintour, and Vogue did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p>

Anna Wintour pays tribute to André Leon Talley after being criticized for not releasing a statement about his death sooner

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11893303" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fashion" source="Orion">Fashion</keyword> industry icon André Leon Talley is dead at 73, reports TMZ. </li><li>The former Vogue creative director passed away in a hospital in White Plains, New York.</li></ul><p>Fashion industry icon André Leon Talley is dead at 73, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/01/18/andre-leon-talley-dead-dies-vogue/">TMZ</a> reports. </p><p>TMZ cited a source with direct knowledge of Talley's <keyword id="6355784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="death" source="Orion">death</keyword>, who said he passed on Tuesday at a hospital in White Plains, New York. </p><p>It is unclear what illness Talley was battling at the time of his death. Insider has reached out to Talley's representatives for comment. </p><p>Talley appeared to reference personal struggles he was experiencing via Twitter in March 2021, <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialALT/status/1367168741365194756?s=20">writing</a>: "I cannot thank you all enough for your outpouring of love and concern. I am healthy in mind and spirit and am quite grateful for the many messages from dear friends and extended community." </p><p>Talley is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/style/andre-leon-talley-documentary.html">known for charting Vogue's coverage in the 80s and 90s</a> as the publication's <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> director, and later, its creative director. Talley <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americas-next-top-model-andre-leon-talley-kelly-cutrone-2011-9">also had a short stint as a judge on "America's Next Top Model</a>," appearing on the show for four seasons. </p><p>He was the subject of the 2016 documentary "The Gospel According to André."</p><p>Talley published two memoirs — "A.L.T.: A Memoir" in 2003, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YRCD5M8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1">"The Chiffon Trenches"</a> in 2020. "Trenches" chronicled his tumultuous relationships with the late Karl Lagerfeld and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, and his close friendships with Naomi Campbell and Lee Radziwell. </p><p>For his work in fashion, Talley was <a href="https://wwd.com/eye/people/andre-leon-talley-to-be-honored-with-the-order-of-arts-and-letters-1234805382/">honored with the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in April 2021,</a> an award for those who have significantly contributed to French culture. </p><p>Fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg took to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5U2yINHxm/">Instagram</a> to mourn Talley, writing: "Good bye darling André … no one saw the world in a more glamorous way than you did … no one was grander and more soulful than you were …the world will be less joyful."</p><p>"I have loved you and laughed with you for 45 years…. I miss your loud screams …I love you soooo much," von Fürstenberg continued. </p><p>Preston Mitchum, a Black civil rights advocate and director of advocacy and government affairs at The Trevor Project, <a href="https://twitter.com/PrestonMitchum/status/1483644791074209792?s=20">tweeted</a>: "André Leon Talley made it possible for so many Black queer boys and men to express ourselves out loud. No reservations. A legend. An icon. May he rest in peace and power knowing that he paved the way for many people who looked up to him." </p><p>"Watch What Happens Live" host Andy Cohen also <a href="https://twitter.com/BravoWWHL/status/1483651964458180611?s=20">paid tribute to Talley on his show on Tuesday</a>. </p><p>"André — he just was such an incredible life force. When I think of him, he just was boisterous, he was bold, he was lively. We loved having him here. He had a booming voice, he just gave so much energy and love to everyone around him, at all times," Cohen said. "He really was a trailblazer." </p><p>Also posting a tribute to Talley on Instagram was actress Viola Davis, who <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5gBdxsps5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">posted a picture of herself and Talley</a>, writing: "RIP <keyword id="12983644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="andre-leon-talley" source="Orion">Andre Leon Talley</keyword>. Rest well King ❤️" </p>

André Leon Talley, fashion industry icon and former Vogue creative director, is dead at 73: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rihanna wore an all-red outfit to perform at the Super Bowl on Sunday.</li><li>Her outfit included a sleeping bag jacket that nodded to the late fashion editor André Leon Talley.</li></ul><p>Rihanna's iconic <a href="https://www.insider.com/rihanna-super-bowl-performance-photos-pregnant-2023-2">performance at the Super Bowl</a> on Sunday included a musical montage of her greatest hits, dance numbers on raised platforms, a <a href="https://www.insider.com/rihanna-pregnant-speculation-super-bowl-halftime-performance-2023-2">pregnancy</a> reveal — and a sweet tribute to one of her closest style collaborators. </p><p>Rihanna took the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show in a multi-layered, red ensemble custom-designed by Loewe.</p><p>The outfit was inspired by "flight gear and the show's dynamic scenography," the brand shared in a statement on its <a href="https://www.loewe.com/usa/en/stories-collection/Rihanna-superbowl-custom-look.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.</p><div type="image" title="rihanna super bowl 2023" height="3749" width="5000" msid="97888171" hostid="261"></div><p>The first layer of the monochromatic outfit was a catsuit, which was topped by a leather corset that cut off above Rihanna's belly. She wore an unzipped flight suit over the catsuit and sculpted corset, as well as coordinating gloves.</p><p>The suit belted low on her hips, so it revealed her baby bump for <a href="https://www.insider.com/rihanna-pregnant-speculation-super-bowl-halftime-performance-2023-2">her second child</a>.</p><p>For the end of the performance, Rihanna also donned a floor-length, sleeping bag jacket from Alaïa in the same shade of red as the rest of the outfit, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/style/article/fashion-moments-rihanna-super-bowl-halftime-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Rihanna sings on a raised platform in a red outfit with glowing lights behind her/" height="1094" width="1459" msid="97888176" hostid="261"></div><p>The jacket appeared to pay tribute to André Leon Talley, according to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cole6kWNI19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the late fashion editor's </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cole6kWNI19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram page</a>.</p><p>Talley <a href="https://www.insider.com/andre-leon-talley-former-vogue-creative-director-has-died-report-2022-1">died</a> in January 2022 after an illustrious career in the fashion industry, which included serving as the creative director for Vogue from 1988 to 1995.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/fashion/rihanna-super-bowl-andre-leon-talley/">Marie Claire</a>, Talley was known for wearing a red sleeping bag coat from Norma Kamali, and Rihanna's Alaïa jacket looked remarkably similar to Talley's coat.</p><p>Talley's Instagram account acknowledged the jacket tribute with a side-by-side photo of Talley and Rihanna in their similar garments.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cole6kWNI19/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cole6kWNI19/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Andre Leon Talley (@andreltalley)</a></p></div></blockquote> <p>The caption read: "When the sun shines, we'll shine together. Told you I'll be here forever… said I'll always be your friend," tagging Rihanna alongside the reference to her lyrics from "Umbrella."</p><p>Rihanna and Talley were close friends, notably having a playful interaction at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQK2R2yXSBk">the 2015 Met Gala</a> when she wore a <a href="https://www.insider.com/rihanna-felt-like-clown-in-her-2015-met-gala-gown-2020-7">custom Guo Pei gown</a> that weighed 55 pounds.</p><div type="image" title="Rihanna Met Gala 2015" height="2000" width="2667" msid="97889218" hostid="261" sizebytes="369398"></div><p>"You are so inspiring to so many people," he told her at the gala. "You are going to inspire people in this dress."</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HQK2R2yXSBk" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Talley's Norma Kamali coat is currently being <a href="https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6412191?ldp_breadcrumb=back&amp;intObjectID=6412191&amp;from=salessummary&amp;lid=1">auctioned</a> off with other pieces from his wardrobe. </p>

Rihanna's sleeping bag coat at the Super Bowl was a tribute to a fashion icon and a nod to her unforgettable Met Gala outfit

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6357837" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kim-kardashian" source="Orion">Kim Kardashian</keyword> West and <keyword id="12062129" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vogue" source="Orion">Vogue</keyword> are facing a firestorm of criticism online over her recent cover shoot with the magazine. </li><li>Some people have accused Kardashian West of appropriating Black culture in her March cover shoot. </li></ul><p>Kim Kardashian West and Vogue are facing a firestorm of criticism online over the TV star's recent cover shoot with the iconic fashion magazine, which people say appropriated Black culture. </p><p>Kardashian West was revealed this month as the cover star for US Vogue's March issue, and in the issue she poses donning apparel from Balenciaga and Givenchy, among other luxury fashion designers. </p><p>However, some social media users, including the popular Instagram account Diet Prada, have pointed out similarities between Kardashian West's looks in the shoot to those of Black fashion models, such as Naomi Campbell, and Black singers like Beyonce and Nina Simone. </p><p>"Kim and Vogue said 'Black History Month,'" quipped the account, which has more than 3 million followers, along with several hashtags, including "#blackfishing."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZw83H-uAXp" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Diet Prada ™ (@diet_prada)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>Karen Attiah, a Black columnist for The Washington Post, wrote in a comment on the post: "In the middle of Black History Month, they drop this on us. So *tired* of being told a Kardashian is 'redefining beauty' when Black women have been setting beauty and style trends for decades."<br /><br />"Also, where's the Andre Leon Talley appreciation Vogue edition?" Attiah added, referring to the late former Vogue editor, who died last month.  </p><p>Her comment received more than 13,000 likes.</p><p>Diet Prada has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu650x_lW_m/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">previously posted</a> about Kardashian West wearing looks that Campbell had debuted decades before, <a href="https://www.wmagazine.com/story/kim-kardashian-copy-naomi-campbell-style">as W Magazine reported</a> in 2019. Kardashian West later acknowledged the inspiration, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvbjkYRHuUx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">posting photos of herself in a Versace dress</a> that Campbell debuted in 1996 with the caption "Naomi Forever." She later <a href="https://people.com/style/kim-kardashian-naomi-campbell-laugh-copycat-rumors/">told People</a> that she had "always been so open" that Campbell is "the ultimate fashion and glam muse."</p><p>In the past, Kardashian West has also sustained accusations of appropriating Black culture, <a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-kardashian-blackface-accusations-magazine-photos-2019-12">blackface</a>, and blackfishing, a term coined by journalist Wanna Thompson for when "white public figures, influencers, and the like do everything in their power to appear Black," as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/08/entertainment/blackfishing-explainer-trnd/index.html">Thompson told CNN in June.</a></p><p>In a <a href="https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/y3vvpj/kim-kardashian-interview">conversation for i-D published in December 2021</a>, playwright Jeremy O. Harris asked Kardashian West how she had "navigated criticism around things like blackfishing" as the mother of Black children.</p><p>Kardashian West said that she "would never do anything to appropriate any culture," but addressed the <a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-kardashian-defended-wearing-fulani-braids-amidst-cries-of-cultural-appropriation-2018-6">criticism she's sustained for wearing her hair in Fulani braids</a>, a style that originated in West Africa. She told Harris that "a lot of the time" when she wears her hair in braids, it's because her daughter asked her for matching hairstyles.</p><p>"I've had these conversations with her that are like, 'Hey maybe this hairstyle would be better on you and not on me,'" Kardashian West said. "But I also want her to feel that I can do a hairstyle with her and not make it that big of a deal either if that's something that she's really asking for, and really wants."</p>

Kim Kardashian and Vogue are being accused of copying Black fashion for cover photo shoot

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e063fc2855cc2258e73b99b-2400/steve mormoris 2.jpg" alt="steve mormoris" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>Steve Mormoris is the CEO and founder of <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190522005205/en/ScentBeauty-Edge-Beauty-Poised-Redefine-Fragrance-Industry">EDGE Beauty</a>, a beauty company that owns subsidiary Scent Beauty, which is a direct-to-consumer multi-brand fragrance company hoping to revolutionize the scent industry.</li><li>Previously, he was the SVP of Global Marketing at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kylie-jenner-sells-600-million-majority-stake-in-makeup-company-2019-11">the beauty conglomerate Coty,</a> where he helped launch major fragrance brands such as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/victoriabeckham/">David and Victoria Beckham</a>, <a href="https://www.chloe.com/us/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv_P7_6iL5wIVhobACh2X7wafEAAYASAAEgKRTfD_BwE">Chloe</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/balenciaga-releases-new-shoe-zen-collection-inspired-by-athletes-2020-1">Balenciaga</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heidi-klum-and-tim-gunn-host-amazon-fashion-competition-show-2020-1">Calvin Klein.</a></li><li>In an exclusive interview with Business Insider, Mormoris talks about his new company, <a href="https://scentbeauty.com/">Scent Beauty</a>, and how he hopes to disrupt the fragrance industry. </li><li>This is part of Business Insider's "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/thestyleseries">The Style Series</a>" highlighting fashion entrepreneurs and businesses across the globe. </li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p><em>Beauty entrepreneur Steve Mormoris has plans to revolutionize and revitalize the fragrance industry. By launching <a href="https://scentbeauty.com/">Scent Beauty</a> - a subsidiary of his main company, EDGE Beauty - Mormoris aims to partner with brands, charities, celebrities, and influencers to create unique scents that each serve as an emblem of the person who made it, and the political stance it embodies. </em></p><p><em>On the heels of releasing <a href="https://scentbeauty.com/products/cher-eau-de-couture?variant=16683231576110">a scent with legendary singer Cher</a>, Mormoris sat down with Business Insider to discuss how he plans to shake up the fragrance world. </em></p><p><strong>"I was at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kylie-jenner-sells-600-million-majority-stake-in-makeup-company-2019-11">Coty</a> for 15 years." </strong></p><p>[It was] an amazing company that was a game changer in terms of growing its leadership in fragrance, in cosmetics, and in skincare. And I think part of the magic ingredient of their growth had to do with constant innovation in product, breaking boundaries in terms of distribution models. </p><p><strong>"[But] I had a yearning and a need to create my own company."</strong></p><p>[My business] is really based on a whole new paradigm: that people have moved more to direct-to-consumer marketing; that millennials and generation Z are consuming beauty products in a very different way, through storytelling and through digital marketing. People are embracing the idea of scent very differently. </p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e2b5f2b5bc79c00ef6924b8-2400/gettyimages-114714535.jpg" alt="Steve Mormoris halle Berry" /><p><strong>"I saw the whole rise of artists, brands</strong>, <strong>and of social media."</strong></p><p>The fact that very small companies came out of nowhere, entering the social media world and creating a retail platform to sell products - a light bulb went off in my head, and I said, 'Oh, this would be a great forum to create very interesting brands in fragrance where we are simply partnering with new brands.'</p><p><strong>"We don't have a strategy specifically focused on big names."</strong></p><p>As a company, we're going to pride ourselves in creating what I call "craft fragrances" or "unique fragrances" that are highly curated. So the idea isn't to be big, but it's to be meaningful ... We're also launching an interesting concept called "Scent Lounge" where we are looking at micro-influencers from all over the world, who show the diversity of the world - whether they're from India or Africa or Japan or the United States. And they're of all sexualities and ethnicities. </p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e063fd0855cc225b84f2ec7-1635/thephluid3bottles.jpg" alt="steve mormoris" style="color: #000000;" /><strong>"I admire micro-influencers because they're very much motivated by a pure desire of expressing themselves."</strong><p>You can make an argument that macro-influencers have become highly sought after revenue models for many companies. So, in this context, I'd say one of the beauties of micro-influencers is that when, if they decide they want to create a fragrance with us, we know that they are completely passionate about doing this - not just to make money, but to actually reach their fan base. And very often you'll see that micro-influencers have a much higher degree of engagement and following than a macro-influencer does.</p><p><strong>"All companies and all brands strive for this concept of authenticity." </strong></p><p>The difference is today, people find authenticity in a messaging that tends to be relational rather than transactional. So very often consumers like a brand that admits they make mistakes, that asks them to participate in the creation of the brand, or is involved in the charity giving or making the planet better ... I think authenticity has reached a new level of texture, really because consumers have mobile phones in which they're just able to interact with brands, but on a more frequent basis than 30 years ago where you would only interact with the brand when you saw [it on] the television.</p><p><strong>"Fragrance has an emotional benefit." </strong></p><p>It has mood altering benefits and self enhancement benefits. In the history of mankind, people had fragrances to make them feel good about themselves, to feel sexual, to feel productive, to feel individual. </p><p><strong>"The word "scent" has a much larger aperture and meaning</strong> <strong>to people across the world."</strong></p><p>We felt strongly [that] we should not repeat the word "fragrance" because it does restrict you into a world where people are using a product primarily for sex, and seduction, and social status. We saw that all the generations that are now wearing fragrance were actually wearing it as scent. That means that they could use a roller ball, essential oils that they carry in their pocket. They could be wearing a wax fragrance and they could be buying scented drawer paper. They could be spraying a fragrance in their hair. Even in categories like dry shampoo and hand washes, we see a lot of beautiful scent experiences.</p><p><strong>"We'll be launching a line of fragrances with <a href="https://www.samedelman.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy4iX2amL5wIVEpSzCh1BMwXpEAAYASAAEgKnYPD_BwE">Sam Edelman</a>, an iconic shoe designer from New York."</strong></p><p>[He's] one of many to come in the fashion segment. We have really reinvented the celebrity category with this concept of what we call "<a href="https://scentbeauty.com/products/cher-eau-de-couture">Icon Series</a>," where we have different artists who express themselves in an olfactory way. We've started with <a href="https://scentbeauty.com/products/cher-eau-de-couture">Cher</a>, the musical artist. We're also launching a fragrance for <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reneeflemingmusic/">Renee Fleming</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/andreltalley/">Andre Leon Talley</a>.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e06400a855cc21ef60ec6dc-2400/cher newglass srgb 7.jpg" alt="steve mormoris" /><p><strong>"We've decided to give a percentage of our profits</strong> <strong>to charity."</strong></p><p>One of the charities we've partnered with is called <a href="https://www.ditchthelabel.org/">Ditch the Label</a>, which is an anti-bullying charity; another is called the <a href="https://www.forgottenharvest.org/">Forgotten Harvest,</a> which [gives] excess surplus food [to] the homeless. And another one called <a href="https://www.projectaware.org/publication/state-global-market-shark-products?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8oze06mL5wIVBL7ACh0I6AbeEAAYASAAEgKUvvD_BwE">Project Aware</a>, which is a program trying to clean the oceans of plastics. </p><p><strong>"When we create fragrance, we're not looking to please</strong> <strong>everyone."</strong></p><p>We're really looking at creating fragrances that are polarizing in the best sense of the word - where we create very signature fragrances for some brands that [are] so good, people [can] associate [the scent] with that brand, and either people will love [the scent] or not like [it]. </p><p><strong>"As a culturally curious person</strong>, <strong>I'm always on the lookout for new, interesting brands, people, trends."</strong> </p><p>One of the goals is to become the leading innovator of scent to the world, and offering that through a multitude of curated, unique brands that are culturally relevant ... I also think that one of my personal goals is [to make sure] that we've made a difference, and [that] we've made a difference [specifically] to the consumer. </p>

The Style Series: This entrepreneur is trying to disrupt the fragrance industry by tapping into e-commerce and DTC brands - and he's already got pop icon Cher on board

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