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The Chiffon Trenches
- A Memoir
- Narrated by: André Leon Talley
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
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Publisher's Summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the pages of Vogue to the runways of Paris, this “captivating” (Time) memoir by a legendary style icon captures the fashion world from the inside out, in its most glamorous and most cutthroat moments.
“The Chiffon Trenches honestly and candidly captures fifty sublime years of fashion.”—Manolo Blahnik
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Fortune • Garden & Gun • New York Post
During André Leon Talley’s first magazine job, alongside Andy Warhol at Interview, a fateful meeting with Karl Lagerfeld began a decades-long friendship with the enigmatic, often caustic designer. Propelled into the upper echelons by his knowledge and adoration of fashion, André moved to Paris as bureau chief of John Fairchild’s Women’s Wear Daily, befriending fashion's most important designers (Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta). But as André made friends, he also made enemies. A racially tinged encounter with a member of the house of Yves Saint Laurent sent him back to New York and into the offices of Vogue under Grace Mirabella.
There, he eventually became creative director, developing an unlikely but intimate friendship with Anna Wintour. As she rose to the top of Vogue’s masthead, André also ascended, and soon became the most influential man in fashion.
The Chiffon Trenches offers a candid look at the who’s who of the last fifty years of fashion. At once ruthless and empathetic, this engaging memoir tells with raw honesty the story of how André not only survived the brutal style landscape but thrived—despite racism, illicit rumors, and all the other challenges of this notoriously cutthroat industry—to become one of the most renowned voices and faces in fashion.
Woven throughout the book are also André’s own personal struggles that impacted him over the decades, along with intimate stories of those he turned to for inspiration (Diana Vreeland, Diane von Fürstenberg, Lee Radziwill, to name a few), and of course his Southern roots and faith, which guided him since childhood.
The result is a highly compelling read that captures the essence of a world few of us will ever have real access to, but one that we all want to know oh so much more about.
What the critics say
“The joy of reading about André Leon Talley’s journey in The Chiffon Trenches is coupled with knowing that he survived and thrived by being revered and respected by those at every level of fashion. That never goes out of style.”—Tamron Hall, award-winning journalist and host of Tamron Hall
“André Leon Talley’s fantastic memoir, The Chiffon Trenches, is a riveting, enthralling, and heartbreaking read, tracing the incredible arc of his life from growing up in the Jim Crow South to what it took for him to come to New York and, thanks to his vast talent and work ethic, gain the respect and recognition of the legends of his day, including Diana Vreeland, Andy Warhol, Karl Lagerfeld, and Anna Wintour. André has lived life at the epicenter of the most glamourous worlds of fashion in both Paris and New York; and now this book is one more chapter in his amazing legacy.”—Wendy Goodman, design editor of New York
“André Leon Talley is the preeminent fashion historian of his generation. His rare quality of mind and the depth of his knowledge infuse The Chiffon Trenches with a spirited voice, keen sensibility, and cultural intellect. The poly-sonic narrative incorporates histories of styles and collections; reveals fashion politics imbued with racism, power plays, fears, and ignorance; and describes with compelling honesty the impact of these forces on his black body.”—Dr. Janis A. Mayes, African/Diasporan Francophone Studies, Syracuse University
What listeners say about The Chiffon Trenches
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- Dante
- 2023-08-02
The best memoir I’ve read
Rip Andre 🙏🏻… a true talent and amazing details. One of the best memoirs I’ve read!
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- Nancy Clemo
- 2023-07-06
sensational
Im so happy this was read by Andre himself, what a treasure. Simply Brilliant! Loved each minute.
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- Renno
- 2023-03-26
Expertly written
A truly moving account of ALT’s life. Reading this postmortem gives it another layer of depth.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-02-22
Love andre leon talley as a storyteller
Wish he could have had more success and respect in his life but he really deserves all the accolades.
His voice is so animated and makes it extra worth the listen even though his stories them self are vividly interesting.
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- GTyyz
- 2022-08-02
A total awesome “read”
This was such a good listen to Andre Leon Talley reading his own stories. It is truly fascinating to know his private life more than just some TV interviews. The way he talk as Karl Lagerfeld is so bang on, it is actually funny without been funny. I can’t wait to re-listen to this book in the future again.
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- dlpyyt
- 2022-06-29
A legacy narrated the only way ALT can.
Fascinating insight into the world of fashion. The good the bad and the ugly. I thoroughly loved listening to Mr. Talleys voice and will dearly miss seeing him in glossy photos.
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- Samah Fadil
- 2021-04-19
Good book with lots of interesting stories
André Léon Talley is an icon and we can hear it all here. From his poor upbringing to his strained relationship with his mother, all the way to his rise and fall with Anna Wintour, Andre speaks frankly and honestly about his journey through the Chiffon trenches. A good listen, especially if you love fashion and fashion history.
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- SandraSays
- 2021-03-04
Fabulous André!
I always wondered who this man was and I am impressed and charmed by his intelligence, deep down humility and ability to navigate the landmine-pocked worlds of high fashion and Southern racism.
His love of beauty and elegance is uplifting, his consideration of flawed humanity is humbling. What a great book of astounding, compelling reminiscences. I wish it were twice as long.
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- Kimberly
- 2021-02-21
Loved it!
I grew up watching fashion television as a child with my mother and saw André frequently appear on the show. I was always interested in knowing more about him. This book was phenomenal. I loved all of it!
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- Rubina Manji
- 2020-12-16
Must Read! Wildly interesting, thought provoking
And absolutely love the author narrating, it allows you to feel the emotion and live the story
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