- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (April 8 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0375508287
- ISBN-13: 978-0375508288
- Product Dimensions: 16.4 x 2.5 x 24.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 386 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #713,648 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
What influences shape a fashionista? For Vogue editor-at-large Talley (born in 1949), the answer is simple: his grandmother Bennie Davis and empress of style Diana Vreeland. In his heartfelt, occasionally affected remembrance, the Southern-born African-American admits he had little experience with Vreeland's brand of luxury but enjoyed "an innate understanding of it," thanks to his grandmother's meticulous sense of propriety. Indeed, his memoir, an homage to two extraordinary women, is less an autobiography than a eulogy. The women's mutual love of polish is "evidence of a deeper philosophy-the primacy of home and the importance of spending time in its service." Talley is a keen observer, and his book salutes beauty and its practitioners from his grandmother to Karl Lagerfeld. He's at his best, however, when recalling his Durham, N.C., childhood, his devoted father and life in a segregated South. He renders tales of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, family reunions and life during the Civil Rights movement in sumptuous detail. Yet Talley is equally awed by Vreeland, Halston and Mica Ertegun, among his pantheon of fashion royalty, and he considers it a privilege just to sit at their tables. Vreeland, his mentor, enjoys a special place in his heart, and he waxes rhapsodic about her talent as fashion icon and director of the Met's Costume Institute. Between these personal salutes, he details a 30-year hitch in the chiffon trenches, from glam parties and unimagined opulence to the generosity of friends. If Talley has one message, it's "Style transcends race, class, and time." His memoir, though saccharine in spots, is sincere.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
How a 6' 7" African American man with an M.A. in French studies from Brown became a leading light at Vogue.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful, but mistitled,
By BusyBaker (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A.L.T.: A Memoir (Hardcover)
This is wonderful book, warmly written and lovingly detailed. That said, I think the tome is mistitled. Rather than a personal memoir, this is more of an ode to two beautiful women--Talley's grandmother and Diana Vreeland. This book is the story of how these two women influenced and shaped Talley's life, but there is little about his personal life outside of this subject. I hope that Talley will write more, another book about his personal experiences about race, relationships and culture. A.L.T. was such a wonderfully written book I would like to read more--please Andre, indulge us!
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gentle tribute to two formidable women,
By eclectictastes "eclectictastes" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A.L.T.: A Memoir (Hardcover)
I didn't know much of Andre Leon Talley aside from mentions in the Andy Warhol diaries and his occassional TV appearances providing commentary on celebrity fashions. A stereotypical shallow and superficial TV fashion personality, I thought.Well this book set me straight. I was expecting a bitchy expose about Talley's career in the fashion world but it turns out there many more layers to the flamboyant Talley than he lets the public see. Lovingly recounting his childhood with his grandmother in North Carolina, Talley salutes the foundations which shaped the core of his personality. One can visualize his grandmother's sheets, feel themselves in Talley's home church and taste the after church dinners just by turning the pages. After receiving degrees from North Carolina Central State and Brown University, Talley sets off to pursue his destiny in New York. His life and career are forever altered when he meets fashion legend Diana Vreeland. Talley remembers his grandmother and Vreeland with a great deal of love. His writing reveals a real fondness for women which doesn't always seem to be the case with males in the fashion business. So while I didn't get the expose I was expecting particularly about his Warhol days, I did learn that Talley is a man of spiritual and intellectual substance. I would have liked to read more about his experiences as a Black male in the predominantly White fashion industry but that's only a minor quibble. I highly recommend this book.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A worthwhile read for any fashion follower,
By Christina (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A.L.T.: A Memoir (Hardcover)
That luxury and style can be found in many places is the resounding message in this book. While the flow of the writing is occasionally choppy, the content makes reading this book an enjoyable experience. Every time I put this book down, I anxiously looked forward to the next time I could get back to Andre's remarkable story. How an African-American boy in 1950/60s North Carolina evolved from spending his 9-year-old's allowance on Vogue magazine to his critical break after college landing a volunteer position under the direction of Diana Vreeland at the Costume Institute is truly a page-turning read. This is a fast, easy read; suitable for anyone interested in fashion. Makes me want to go out and purchase a pair of buttery-soft Kislav gloves!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
