André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever
A night of reverence, remembrance, and radiance at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film
Pharrell WilliamsPhoto: Chia Chong
On a crisp autumn evening in Atlanta, the world of fashion gathered beneath the soft glow of museum lights to celebrate the life and legacy of a man who forever redefined the meaning of style. The opening of André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever was not just another exhibition — it was a resurrection.
Inside the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, every garment, every photograph, every whispered story shimmered with the spirit of a man who lived his life as both art and revolution. The night was a love letter to an icon — to a visionary who made the act of dressing a language of power, intellect, and truth.
The Grand Entrance
Guests ascended the marble steps of SCAD FASH under the delicate wash of gold light. It was an evening charged with both glamour and grace — velvet gowns brushing the floor, the quiet clink of champagne glasses, the hum of anticipation.
Inside, the air felt reverent. The first room unfolded like a scene from a play: rows of mannequins draped in Talley’s legendary caftans and sweeping capes, their forms towering beneath the glow of spotlights. Some silks caught the light like water; others absorbed it, heavy with drama.
It was as if André himself — ever regal, ever present — was somewhere among them, orchestrating the evening with a silent, knowing smile.
A Life Told in Fabric
Curated by Rafael Brauer Gomes, the exhibition is an immersive journey through nearly 70 garments from Talley’s personal wardrobe — couture, bespoke, and ready-to-wear pieces that together tell the story of a life lived in full color.
Each gallery represents a chapter of his evolution. In one, photographs of a young André at Interview and Women’s Wear Daily hang beside early tailoring — crisp seersucker suits and narrow ties that hint at his Southern roots. In another, his later years unfold in magnificent volumes: embroidered caftans, velvet robes, and ecclesiastical capes that turned every entrance into an event.
The mannequins, sculpted in Talley’s own form, stand like sentinels of memory. They do not simply display clothing — they embody his essence. Visitors are enveloped in his world: the grandeur, the intellect, the vulnerability.
“This is not fashion for fashion’s sake,” says Gomes. “This is storytelling through fabric. Every garment André owned carried emotion — a piece of history, a fragment of his soul.”
The Gathering of the Faithful
Opening night drew an audience that read like a who’s who of culture and couture. Designers, editors, curators, and former protégés arrived dressed in their finest — many donning flowing capes or bold prints in subtle tribute.
Among the guests was Pharrell Williams, who received the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award. In his acceptance speech, he reflected on Talley’s bravery and unapologetic individuality. “He taught us all that being different is divine,” Pharrell said, his voice echoing through the marble atrium. “He didn’t just open doors — he shattered them and built new ones.”
Diane von Furstenberg, one of Talley’s oldest friends, moved through the exhibition with quiet emotion. At one moment, she stopped in front of a velvet cape and whispered, “He was larger than life, and he made us all see beauty where others could not.”
Around her, conversations blossomed — stories of dinners in Paris, of laughter backstage, of moments when Talley’s words could cut through pretense with a single sentence. The night became a reunion, not of colleagues, but of disciples gathered to honor their teacher.
Style as Spirit
What makes Style Is Forever so powerful is its emotional balance — the interplay between spectacle and intimacy. For all the opulence of the fabrics and the boldness of the silhouettes, there are quiet, tender details throughout the exhibit.
A handwritten note here. A pair of worn slippers there. A photo of Talley, smiling beside Karl Lagerfeld in a Paris salon. Together, these artifacts humanize the myth.
One gallery is particularly moving: a space enveloped in darkness, with only his signature red robe illuminated under a single spotlight. It’s a scene of reverence, almost spiritual — a symbol of the man who transformed fashion into a cathedral of ideas.
In that moment, guests didn’t whisper about trends or labels. They stood still. They listened. They felt.
The Meaning of Forever
Beyond its beauty, André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever carries profound weight. It celebrates a life that broke barriers — a Black man from Durham, North Carolina, who rose to the heights of Vogue and the global fashion elite through intellect, audacity, and unmatched vision.
For the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), which now holds much of Talley’s wardrobe and archive in its permanent collection, the exhibition is also a declaration of legacy. It ensures that future generations of fashion students — particularly those of color — will see themselves reflected in his brilliance.
Talley once said, “Style is not about money or status. It’s about how you see the world and how you share that vision.” This exhibition, then, is his final sharing — an open window into the mind of a man who saw beyond fabric, into meaning.
A Night to Remember
As the evening came to a close, guests lingered in the final room, where images of Talley throughout his career flashed across the walls — front row at couture shows, laughing with Naomi Campbell, embracing Anna Wintour, gazing contemplatively at the camera.
Soft applause broke out, not for a show, but for a life well-lived. The night didn’t feel like an ending, but a continuation — proof that André’s spirit will forever walk the halls of fashion history.
Outside, as attendees stepped into the cool Atlanta night, one could almost hear his booming, joyful voice echoing into the air:
“Style is not something you put on — it’s something that lives inside you.”
And on that night, it lived in everyone there.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition Title: André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever
Venue: SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, Atlanta, Georgia
Curated by: Rafael Brauer Gomes
Dates: On view through March 1, 2026
Presented by: Savannah College of Art and Design
