Remembering André Leon Talley at His Estate Sale Preview at Christie’s
This weekend, the Late fashion icon André Leon Talley's collection of priceless items went on auction at an organized event by Christie's in New York. Fetching almost $3.6 million, the items in the collection included paintings, personal photographs, and some of Talley's signature capes and kaftans.
The collection is on view at the New York auction house. MADISON VOELKEL/BFA.COM/COURTESY CHRISTIE'S
As the first Black man to hold the title “Creative Director and Editor-at-large” of American Vogue, Mr. Talley's discerning taste extended beyond fashion, resulting in a personal collection that includes haute couture, Handbags, Jewellery, Fine art, literature, and decorative arts.
Among the top sellers were a Christian Dior greatcoat and a silk satin "Climate Revolution" cloak by the late Vivienne Westwood, which fetched $40,320 and $32,760, respectively. An exhibition of items, including some of Talley's signature capes and kaftans, went on show ahead of the sale. The items in the collection also spoke to Talley's deep network of relationships with some of the fashion world's biggest names. Over a dozen sketches and photos by the late Karl Lagerfeld, as well as a signed watercolor portrait that Gianni Versace once made of Talley, were sold at the auction. The latter item sold for $37,500.
The auction also included pieces by African designers and black artists. A brick red "Sleeping Bag" clutch coat by Norma Kamali fetched $25,200. The red coat by designer Norma Kamali sold for well over its initial estimate of $500 to $800.
Talley was not only known for his love of fashion but also for his interest in art and culture. Two different Andy Warhol artworks (along with a Louis Vuitton luggage set) shared the title of the auction's top seller, each fetching $94,500. Also among the big-ticket items was a Bradley Theodore portrait of former Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland that sold for over $40,000. Several other photos of Vreeland appeared in the sale, as did an Annie Leibovitz photo of Vogue's top gun Anna Wintour.
André Leon Talley at his home in White Plains, N.Y., in 2017. | Photo Credit: Ike Edeani