The collection of fashionista André Leon Talley stopped first at Christie's in Palm Beach. And one of his signature looks stopped us in our tracks on Worth Avenue, a year to the day after his death in 2022.
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For such a big man, it's really a pretty tiny collection, perhaps because of space limitations. It took us less than 10 minutes to peruse the items in the single-room gallery.
Incongruously, at the time of his passing, André's landlord in Westchester, a former friend, had been trying to evict him for non-payment of rent. He probably couldn't bear to part with any of the valuable things he had amassed over the years. Even that green caftan by Diane Von Furstenberg in the window is estimated to sell for more than a thousand bucks. You can see him wearing it in The Gospel According to André, a hagiography, oops, I mean documentary.
And somebody will likely pay at least $150K for this candy box by Andy Warhol. It would make a sensational Valentine's Day gift!
Andy also signed this incredible silkscreen of Diana Vreeland, one of André's early mentors at Vogue. He burned his bridges with Anna Wintour, another imperious colleague, in The Chiffon Trenches, his memoir. Kehinde Wiley, who "street casts" his Black models, poses them in similar allusions to old masters painting.
The photographer Horst P. Horst caught Ms. Vreeland relaxing at home. They broke the mold with that woman.
I don't think I've ever seen a gayer picture of Andy, other than his incredible drag Polaroids. He and Andre are celebrating Bianca Jagger's birthday at Mortimer's in New York City, where the collection will travel next before ending up in Paris.
André's morbid obesity prevented him from using some of the swag that will be auctioned to benefit Black churches, including a Chanel tennis racket and a Louis Vuitton bicycle, both branded of course.
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