Andrè Leon Talley says 'I could’ve been George Floyd' while opening up about his experiences with racism

Talley says: 'My story is a story of how to survive all odds, no matter what the odds are'

Andrè Leon Talley has opened up about the importance of sharing his experiences as a black man in the fashion industry while explaining why every “man of colour” should share their story.

On Friday, the former creative director of Vogue appeared on the Today show to discuss his memoir The Chiffon Trenches with host Al Roker.

During the interview, the 71-year-old explained that he feels it is his duty to share his own story, of how he carved out a path for himself in the industry, because “every day is a struggle for a black man”.

“I think it’s important that every man of colour who has been born in this country who is a descendant of enslaved people of African descent tells a story because every day is a struggle for a black man, no matter what station in life you’ve achieved,” Talley explained. “I could have been George Floyd. I could’ve been Ahmaud Arbery. Really nothing has changed.

“So my story is a story of how to survive all odds, no matter what the odds are.”

According to Talley, who became a prominent figure in the fashion industry in the 70s, he experienced the most racism when he was in Paris, when “a jealous person gave me the nickname Queen Kong”.

However, it wasn’t until recently that he said he realised his appointment as the first black creative director of Vogue in 1988 was “pioneering”.

“I didn’t think about it at the time as being a pioneer position, but I now realise today it was very pioneering,” he said, adding that he never thought of himself as a “black man sitting at Vogue creating this historical moment.”

“I thought of myself as an individual with talent and a person who had knowledge about fashion and style.”

As for the future of the fashion magazine, and the industry, Talley said he believes there’s going to be “accountability” and change, brought on, in part, by the recent protests following the death of Floyd.

“Without a doubt, there’s going to be accountability,” he said. “The young people out there walking, marching. They’re marching still to this day. There are white people, there are black people, there are Asian people, there are brown people.

“Young people aren’t going to stand for it anymore. They are tired of this.”

During the interview, Talley also touched on his relationship with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who described in his book as “not capable of human kindness”.

According to Talley, who was once close friends with Wintour, as they grew older the magazine editor became more distant.

“Some days she would treat me like a family member and another day I’d be the black sheep, virtually out in the pasture,” he said.