On Jan. 18, 2022, André Leon Talley passed away from a heart attack due to COVID-19 complications. The seminal, groundbreaking Vogue editor was only 73-years-old when he passed away in White Plains, NY, according to The Cut.

Talley was no stranger to controversy, and made headlines when he detailed how his relationship with Vogue capo Anna Wintour became fractured in his recent memoir, “The Chiffon Diaries.”

Perhaps that’s why the magazine was the last to report on his passing — a fact which did not go unnoticed by critics.

This is what Vogue thought was appropriate to tweet 30 mins after the death of beloved fashion legend and former Vogue Creative Director and Editor-at-Large Andre Leon Talley was announced to have passed.

Quelle coincidence.

Interestingly tasteless as per usual. pic.twitter.com/OSvAYUzSxd

— Beguiling Bini Baddie (@Aizehinomo) January 19, 2022

https://twitter.com/rgay/status/1483716464821428230?s=20

…let @voguemagazine’s continued silence on the death of its former editor-in-chief, Andre Leon Talley, serve as a reminder of how fleeting “a seat at the table” is when you do not own the table nor decide its guests.

May his memory continually be a blessing.

— D. Danyelle Thomas (@UnfitChristian) January 19, 2022

Regardless of whether Vogue ever fully acknowledges the contributions of André Leon Talley, his impact on the fashion world cannot be overstated. More than just the extravagant capes, the friends in the fashion world, and the larger-than-life way he chose to live, he was a trailblazer who paved the way for Black women — and, especially, Black celebrity women — to see their faces in Vogue in particular, and in high fashion in general. He didn’t just deserve a seat at the table — he was the table, and everybody ate when he set it.

As the world continues to mourn his passing, let’s take a look back at the life and times of André Leon Talley.

André Leon Talley

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