The Chiffon Trenches

A Memoir

By: André Leon Talley

Narrated by: André Leon Talley

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the pages of Vogue to the runways of Paris, this “captivating” (Time) memoir by a legendary style icon captures the fashion world from the inside out, in its most glamorous and most cutthroat moments.

“The Chiffon Trenches honestly and candidly captures fifty sublime years of fashion.”—Manolo Blahnik

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Fortune • Garden & Gun • New York Post

During André Leon Talley’s first magazine job, alongside Andy Warhol at Interview, a fateful meeting with Karl Lagerfeld began a decades-long friendship with the enigmatic, often caustic designer. Propelled into the upper echelons by his knowledge and adoration of fashion, André moved to Paris as bureau chief of John Fairchild’s Women’s Wear Daily, befriending fashion's most important designers (Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta). But as André made friends, he also made enemies. A racially tinged encounter with a member of the house of Yves Saint Laurent sent him back to New York and into the offices of Vogue under Grace Mirabella.

There, he eventually became creative director, developing an unlikely but intimate friendship with Anna Wintour. As she rose to the top of Vogue’s masthead, André also ascended, and soon became the most influential man in fashion.

The Chiffon Trenches offers a candid look at the who’s who of the last fifty years of fashion. 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.

Woven throughout the book are also André’s own personal struggles that impacted him over the decades, along with intimate stories of those he turned to for inspiration (Diana Vreeland, Diane von Fürstenberg, Lee Radziwill, to name a few), and of course his Southern roots and faith, which guided him since childhood.

The result is a highly compelling read that captures the essence of a world few of us will ever have real access to, but one that we all want to know oh so much more about.

To be present...

ALT recites in such a way that you become enveloped in every word spoken like being draped in the finest of fabrics. His legendary, rich history and contributions to the fashion world deserved to be told by no other person than himself. He made me feel as if I were present the way he sets the tone carefully curating every scene with his theatrical voice.

I loved It

I loved all of this book and Mr. Talley voice made it even better. a nice glimpse into the fashion world

Riveting! - I've never listened to book so fast

This was an outstanding read. Andre tells a story of his life like no other can. I always wondered what was the big deal about him besides being an over the top personality, but this book explains why he was much loved and respected in the fashion world.

Most of all this was and entertaining and Eye opening look into the world of high fashion. You will enjoy this book.

thru the eyes of the author

narrator brought the book to a new level .He relived every moment of his life.

Simply excellent!!

Andre brings you in and shares some surprising secrets about the fashion world and some interesting personalities. Feels like a very good gift. Enjoy!