In his new memoir, The Chiffon Trenches, Andre Leon Talley opened up about his years working at VOGUE and his toxic relationship with Anna Wintour. Talley said that he suffered “huge emotional and psychological scars” after working with her for decades. He added that the fashion maven is simply not “capable of simple human kindness” and that she’s “immune to anyone other than the powerful and famous people who populate the pages of VOGUE.” Talley also revealed that their relationship went bad in 2016 after he realized that he was being pushed out of the company.
Talley said that he started hosting a VOGUE podcast and interviewed celebrity guests. He had a problem with only being paid $500 per episode for the successful podcast. And then, it was gone. They also stopped him from doing red carpet interviews at the 2018 Met Gala, telling him that it was “beneath” him.
The 70-year-old wrote in his book, “This was clearly a stone-cold business decision. I had suddenly become too old, too overweight, too uncool, I imagined, for Anna Wintour. After decades of loyalty and friendships…” He continued, “Anna should have had the decency and kindness to call me or send me an email saying: 'Andre, I think we have had a wonderful run with your interviews but we are going to try something new. I would have accepted that…I understand; nothing lasts forever. Simple human kindness. No, she is not capable.”
He added, “She has mercilessly made her best friends people who are the highest in their chosen fields. Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Mr. and Mrs. George Clooney are, to her, friends. I am no longer of value to her.”
On what he would like from Anna now, he said, “Today, I would love for her to say something human and sincere to me. I have huge emotional and psychological scars from my relationship with this towering and influential woman. I wonder, when she goes home alone at night, is she miserable? Does she feel alone?”
Andre’s book “The Chiffon Trenches” is set to be released in September.
