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The Chiffon Trenches

A Memoir

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The Chiffon Trenches

Written by: André Leon Talley
Narrated by: André Leon Talley
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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. Art Art & Literature Fashion Designers Memoir Entertainment Friendship Social justice
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And absolutely love the author narrating, it allows you to feel the emotion and live the story

Must Read! Wildly interesting, thought provoking

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Thank you Andre Leon Talley for your formidable courage, your dedication to the craft and for showing (without ego) that you are a rare gem in your loyalty, endurance and forgiveness to those especially with stunted emotional intelligence. You are love. You are also a master of your art-form. Its clear even with your eyes closed and hands tied behind your back, you are a man of impeccable knowledge of all things fashion who could run circles around most if not all without trying. Your circle of love and influence is testament to that. Bravo and thank you!

Who needs a met ball ticket when you have this front row seat

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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.

Love andre leon talley as a storyteller

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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.

Fabulous André!

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loved it!
it was a great read
a good look at what happens behind the scenes

loved it

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