What better way to start the new year than with a new book; for my premier book review, I’m commenting on Andre Leon Talley’s memoir The Chiffon Trenches.

First and foremost, anyone who goes by three names just has to be fabulous and larger than life, and Mr. Talley is no exception. I went into this book with great expectations and no expectations at all. I already had a brief knowledge of Andre Leon Talley’s career but no background on the man. To be honest, I was most interested in any insider tea he most definitely had to serve. This book is a refreshingly honest and sincere account of a career in fashion one could only dream of. Talley gives us a strong foundation, albeit brief, account of his early life and education in the American South. However, that becomes the backdrop for which he frames his time in the chiffon trenches. 

As memoirs go, I figured I would get more personal family background, a few career highlights, and then a wrap-up to lead into what said person is up to today. This is not that book but in a good way! Talley flows effortlessly into the different parts of his life and career through stories and their impact on him. There is no timeline per se, but the order of events is easy to follow and culminates nicely into present thought.

My biggest takeaway from this book is the timeliness. We are receiving Talley’s story at a significant time in American history. 2020 was a year like no other, filled with despair, sorrow, unforeseen circumstance, and unrest. Talley tells the story of a black man in fashion. A black man raised in the south in fashion. A black man raised in the south creating a career during the golden age of fashion. Talley shows us activism that was not loud, boisterous, or even brazen but impactful, transformative, and moving. 

This is a story about a man who took his passion and education and combined it with hard work to become a fashion industry fixture. Talley was and is a true pioneer. This book is loaded with timeless pictures of fashion icons of both places and people. Talley’s quick wit and fantastic humor are weaved through every page, and fear not, tea is served but delicately and at the perfect temperature.

We get tales of great friendships, backstory on groundbreaking photoshoots, and an intimate look at some of fashion’s most notable players.  

One of my favorite parts of the book is Talley’s story of his involvement in a car accident. A man comes over to help and says, your car is totaled; to which Talley responds, what about my luggage? The man is confused, and Talley says the car is a rental, the luggage is Louis Vuitton.

For anyone interested in the man, the industry, or just a good book, The Chiffon Trenches is a must-read.