Photo by Courtney Scott
André Leon Talley, former editor-at-large for Vogue magazine and well-known figure in the fashion industry, visited St. Louis this past weekend for the opening of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s menswear exhibit, "Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015." The exhibit is on display until September 17. Talley spoke to an auditorium at the museum of over 500 people on the exhibit’s opening day. We sat down with him upon his arrival in St. Louis.
What look from the exhibit stands out the most to you? Do you have any favorites? One of my favorite looks is the Zoot Suit, which is worn typically by African-American men. An authentic Zoot Suit is a rare find. It was a very important moment for men’s fashion in the '40s when things were very exaggerated. At the same time, one of my favorite looks is the Yves Saint Laurent safari jacket, which goes almost unnoticed in the exhibit. The safari jacket, made for urban men to wear in the '70s, is a very important moment in fashion.
The eighteenth-century dressing gowns are another of my favorite looks, in silk brocades worn by the men in France. They would wear them only at home to have coffee or hot chocolate, sitting at their escritoire writing letters. You did not wear it out in public. They were an important part of eighteenth-century men, and I love that.
Currently, men’s fashion runway shows and fashion weeks are happening across Europe, and some new men’s style statements emerged. Some runways even featured men wearing gowns on the runways. It is 2017—anything goes! Trans this, trans that. I think it's all perfect, and I think it’s exciting!
What fashion at the moment do you think will define our the current time in history? I think there are some important menswear designers at the moment. I think the Louis Vuitton men’s show was important, not only for the clothes that were presented but for the music created by Drake that played at the show. I think Off-White is a great designer who is doing very innovative work that will stand out. It is a very important part of contemporary modern time. I love what Tom Ford does. He does amazing clothes. For the man who is established, who is successful, who wants to be fit, who wants to wear tailored clothes with true silhouettes with quality fabrics and beautiful shoes, I think Tom Ford does that best.
What trends do you think will stick and what trends do you hope will not stick? I think denim will always be something that fashion will pursue and explore. Denim with lace or lace-printed denim or laser-printed lace denim. I think taffeta for men is a very important thing that will be pursued, explored, and evolving. The idea of volume and fabric away from the body is very important for men.
I think that in general, the romper is a trend that should be forgotten about as a whole. I think jumpsuits are okay and men should explore more wearing jumpsuits, but not the short version, which is the romper. The romper trend is not something that is universal. I don’t see Kanye West going out in a romper, or Drake, Justin Bieber. Certainly not Leonardo DiCaprio. James Corden could pull off a romper. Anything James Corden does is wonderful. I don’t think he would choose a romper, but if it was given to him, he would make it work.
It is such an honor to have this prestigious collection on view in our city. What aspects do you hope the people of St. Louis appreciate and take away from the exhibit? What I want people from St. Louis to take away is a sense of history of men’s fashion. It is thoroughly and richly done. It is thoroughly done based on categories that are are very relevant and vital to the history of men’s fashion. It’s not just about a business suit. You will come to the museum and have a wonderful colorful moment. Fashion should be dazzling and astonish the senses in a way. I think that these clothes do that. I love the Rick Owens white dress! It is very effective. The sense of color, textures, and print in the show throughout the time periods is still relevant today.
