Sales of André Leon Talley’s Memoir Soaring Following Fashion Editor’s Death

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André Leon Talley’s official memoir is selling out online after news of the fashion editor’s death broke Tuesday night. First released in May 2020, “The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir” is currently Number One on Amazon’s fashion best-sellers chart, though only the paperback and audiobook versions are still available as of this writing (the hardcover version is sold out).

A New York Times bestseller when it was first published, the book is also currently sold out on Target.com, and out of stock on Walmart.com, with limited availability at Barnes & Noble.

If you want to buy André Leon Talley’s memoir online, your best bet is to pick up the paperback version on Amazon here. You can also read Talley’s book with a free trial to Kindle or listen to it as an audiobook with a free trial to Audible here.

From his difficult childhood in North Carolina to sauntering through the runways of Paris, Talley’s memoir is more than a rags-to-riches tale — instead, it’s an intimate portrait of someone who fell in love with fashion from a young age, and was determined to make it in the industry against all odds.

“The Chiffon Trenches” tracks Talley’s journey from growing up in Durham, North Carolina to ascending the ranks in the fashion world, eventually ending up as Creative Director at Vogue — one of the most prestigious appointments at the publication. Working alongside Anna Wintour, Talley became the first Black creative director at the magazine, and one of the few Black editors in the entire industry. His presence is credited with helping to usher in a new focus on diversity and representation, while inspiring a new generation of Black designers, models and writers.

Related: Watch Andre Leon Talley’s High Fashion Cameo in Mariah Carey’s Music Video

Talley’s memoir chronicles his time at Vogue with humor and hubris; he dishes on his favorite photoshoots and projects at the magazine, but also writes honestly about his intimate and occasionally fraught relationship with Wintour.

And while Talley’s life was seemingly filled with fabulous parties and friends — he tells stories of hanging out with Andy Warhol, Halston and Yves Saint Laurent, among others — he was also incredibly lonely and misunderstood at times. Woven throughout the book are stories about Talley’s own personal struggles that have impacted him over the decades, from dealing with childhood abuse to leaving Paris after a racist encounter left him shaken.

As the book publisher writes, “At once ruthless and empathetic, this engaging memoir tells with raw honesty the story of how André not only survived the brutal style landscape but thrived—despite racism, illicit rumors, and all the other challenges of this notoriously cutthroat industry—to become one of the most renowned voices and faces in fashion.”

“The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir” is available now on Amazon.com. The book’s release came two years after a documentary about Talley hit theaters. The Gospel According to André was an officially-approved documentary, that included interviews with Marc Jacobs, Wintour, Tom Ford and Talley himself.

The Gospel According to André is available to stream now on HBO Max and Hulu. You can also watch the André Leon Tally documentary online for free by signing up for a free trial to Hulu here.

Don’t want to sign up for a streaming service? You can rent or download The Gospel According to André online with Amazon Video.