Fashion lovers have just one week left to see a tribute to one of the industry’s most influential voices.
“André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever” is entering its final days at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. The exhibition honors the late fashion editor and cultural icon André Leon Talley, celebrating his sweeping impact on style, storytelling, and generations of students at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
The show features more than 75 looks in Atlanta, including ready-to-wear, couture, and bespoke pieces from Talley’s personal collection, and hundreds of images documenting his life and career.
“We have more than 75 looks displayed here in Atlanta, plus memorabilia, ephemera. We have hundreds of images on display,” said Rafael Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH museums. “André was a mentor for our students for decades.”
Talley, who died in 2022, rose from humble beginnings in North Carolina to become one of fashion’s most powerful figures. He began his career working with Diana Vreeland at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, collaborated with Andy Warhol and later became a towering presence at Vogue alongside editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
Known for his commanding capes and booming voice, Talley helped shape the modern fashion conversation, encouraging audiences to see beauty, identity and empowerment through a broader lens.
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The exhibition includes garments by designers such as Tom Ford, Ralph Rucci, Manolo Blahnik and Dapper Dan, as well as personal mementos and artwork from friends including Diane von Furstenberg and Karl Lagerfeld. The collection was made possible through a major bequest to SCAD, ensuring Talley’s wardrobe and archives remain part of the university’s permanent collection.
Gomes said Talley was personally involved in planning the exhibition before the COVID-19 pandemic halted progress. After Talley became ill and passed away, organizers decided to move forward in his honor.
“We were gifted with this incredible treasure, and we really thought we do need to keep going. We need to finish the project,” Gomes said.
Students played a key role in bringing the show to life. Fashion students worked to tailor mannequins, a process known as “mannequinage,” adjusting body forms to properly fit each garment. A SCAD alum also created a sculpture of Talley’s face that appears on the mannequins throughout the exhibit.
The exhibition has broken attendance records at SCAD FASH, according to organizers, and marks the 10th anniversary of the museum.
“We have one more week that we are open,” Gomes said. “Please come. Please see it. It’s really, really amazing.”
“Style Is Forever” is presented across SCAD museums in Atlanta and Savannah and is accompanied by a commemorative catalogue featuring new photography and archival images from Talley’s decades-long career.
For those hoping to experience Talley’s grandeur up close, time is running out.