Inside The Opening Night Of ‘André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever’ Exhibition

October 15, 2025

The late, incomparable André Leon Talley‘s style legacy is being honored by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Titled André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever and curated by Rafael Brauer Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH museums, the tribute exhibition “features select looks from Talley’s personal collection, including ready-to-wear, couture, and bespoke pieces, highlighting some of his most recognizable moments from legendary Met Galas to famed front rows as well as more intimate occasions and celebrations.”

“André Leon Talley didn’t just shape fashion, he shaped people,” said Gomes in a statement. “This exhibition is our love letter to a legend who carved a place in history with style and conviction.”

SCAD praised Talley’s “deep intellect, flair for language, and skill at contextualizing contemporary design within the richness of history” which cemented him as “fashion’s kingmaker.”

Antoine Gregory— founder of Black Fashion Fair, artistic advisor of the exhibition and creative director companion book— expressed, “Working on this has been one of the most meaningful projects of my career. It has been an opportunity to honor someone who shaped not only fashion but the way so many of us see ourselves in it. These images are a deeply personal reminder of what it means to tell our own stories.”

He continued, “With contributions from icons like Anna Wintour, Dapper Dan, Tom Ford and Mariah Carey, you really get to see the impact of André across generations and industries. He is an icon of icons. André Leon Talley showed me that fashion could be a language, a shield, a stage and a home. He moved through the industry with such authority and knowledge that it made me believe there was room for me, too. Through this process of documenting his iconic wardrobe, I learned that great style is not just about great clothes. It’s the stories, both short and long, the communities and the memories that live on through them. This retrospective isn’t just a look back on André’s life, it is an opportunity to reach forward and inspire a new generation.”

In tandem with the exhibition, Talley’s “grandeur and global impact” is being brought to life in a book featuring “new photography” by SCAD alum Allen Cooley as well as images from fashion documentarians Jonathan Becker and Robert Fairer’s respective archives.

The exhibition opened on Tuesday (Oct. 14) and runs through Jan. 11, 2026. Check out a preview below.

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