capes and kaftans as he took his designated front-row seat without the need to show a press pass, his presence and personality were all he needed. His life’s achievements will be remembered.  As Vogue’s first African-American male creative director, Talley was an unexpected person of fashion influence. He accomplished this not by being an aristocrat, but because he relentlessly pursued his passion for fashion and literature, ultimately creating space for himself, his identity, and his extravagant outfits. Talley paved the way for African Americans in fashion and beauty. In an interview, he said, “You don’t get up and say, ‘Look, I’m black and I’m proud,’ you just do it and somehow it impacts the culture.”  Talley learned to appreciate style and grace from an early age. Growing up in North Carolina and raised by his grandmother, they went to church every weekend dressed to the nines. The beautiful hats for different seasons matched quality outfits and shoes. Their tight-knit Christian community placed significant value on their beliefs, dressing up for the occasion and surrounding themselves with loved ones. An inquisitive man with bold aspirations and a strong-willed supportive grandmother, Talley was destined to be seen and heard. While fashion was what he admired, his calling was literature. In 1973, Talley completed a Master of Arts degree in French studies, writing his thesis on “North African figures in nineteenth-century French painting and prose”.  During his time at university, Talley was introduced to Diana Vreeland, who worked at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and was the former editor-in-chief at Vogue. Vreeland took Talley under her wing and raised him up as her protege. After Talley proved himself a worthy helper and a loyal friend, Vreeland ushered him in the direction of Andy Warhol in New York, where he worked at The Factory and Interview magazine.  A splendiferous entry into the professional fashion writing scene, Talley proceeded to make his way up the ladder. Safely avoiding the immoral antics of the ’70s and ’80s, he was solely focused on haute couture, beauty, and getting more black models featured in shows and fashion campaigns.  From Interview magazine, he moved to Women’s Wear Daily, stepping into the role of Paris bureau chief and rubbing shoulders with fashion’s ITcrowd. Karl Lagerfeld was taken with Talley and, like Vreeland, mentored him in the finer things of French culture.  It wasn’t always glitz, glamour and invitations to the best parties and shows. Talley endured years of racism and gossip, although rarely did he delve into the pain it caused. Being a black queer man in an unforgiving society meant he was regularly targeted. But he stayed the course, head held high, regal robe trailing behind. Talley later referred to his attire as armour to “navigate through these chiffon trenches”. ‘The only one’ In 1994, The New Yorker published an article profiling Talley, titled “The only one”. At the time, he was the only African-American male editor in fashion. And as much as it was a bitter pill for some to swallow, Talley forged a path for black creatives to follow.  Talley once said he was “the only black man among a sea of white titans of style”. He showed black designers it was possible. He instilled hope in their aspirations. His magazine articles with red carpet photos were tangible goals that young creatives could imagine for themselves. Being the only one may have been lonely, but the legacy will last generations.  Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen more black people rise to become prominent fashion figures: Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue and European editorial director of Condé Nast; Olivier Rousteing, creative director at Balmain; the late Virgil Abloh, formerly men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton; Harlem legend Dapper Dan and more.  He was a man who spoke eloquently and at speed. We’re fortunate to have his words linger in the fashion world. It takes someone brave and bold to break the norm, but we just need one. “I have fought quietly to impact the culture,” he said. And in that, Talley surely succeeded.