Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
The Chiffon Trenches
- Narrated by: André Leon Talley
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
The Chiffon Trenches
Buy Now for £13.00
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
Discover what truly happens behind the scenes in the world of high fashion in this detailed, storied memoir from fashion icon and former Vogue creative director André Leon Talley.
During André Leon Talley's first magazine job assisting Andy Warhol at Interview, a fateful meeting with Karl Lagerfeld began a decade's long friendship with the enigmatic, often caustic designer. Propelled into the upper echelons by his knowledge and adoration of fashion, Talley moved to Paris as bureau chief of John Fairchild's Women's Wear Daily, befriending fashion's most important designers. But as Talley 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 developed an unlikely but intimate friendship with Anna Wintour, and as she rose to the top of Vogue's masthead, Talley became the most influential man in fashion.
The Chiffon Trenches is a candid look at the who's who of the last 50 years of fashion and proof that fact is always devilishly more fascinating than fiction. André Leon Talley's engaging and detailed memoir is his story of surviving and thriving in the notoriously cutthroat fashion industry amidst racism, homophobia and other challenges to become one of the most legendary voices and faces in fashion journalism.
Critic reviews
"A memoir on thriving and surviving the cut-throat fashion industry amid racism and homophobia, The Chiffon Trenches charts Talley’s rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most influential men in fashion. From Talley’s first job assisting Andy Warhol at a fashion magazine, to his friendships with the late Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour, The Chiffon Trenches makes for captivating reading for fashion fans and beyond." (Another Magazine)
"What he gives us, ultimately, is a circus the likes of which, given present circumstances, we may never see again. My advice is to do as I did: apply a good squirt of Fracas to your wrists, and sit back and enjoy the lunatic ride." (Observer, Book of the Week)
"Ideal reading material for anyone who found The Devil Wears Prada addictive but now needs a stronger hit. It is brimful of toxic behaviour and noxious values, which makes it perfect consolation, too, for lockdown." (Daily Telegraph)
What listeners say about The Chiffon Trenches
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 19-05-22
Fashion nostalgia
Whilst hearing Andrè Leon Talley voice you feel calm. Informative, inspiring & generally perfect a great legacy to a life well lived.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 13-06-20
loved it !
Andrè I loved this , I cried , laughed and was hooked from the start !! All the better as you narated it !!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- BikerAndSpice
- 24-01-23
Like having supper with André Leon Talley!
Imagine you sit down to supper with ALT. He’s had a few drinks, you’ve had a cocktail too- so you’re ready to listen! He spills the tea. He’s SO honest. He names. He shames. He praises. He’s been in favour- he’s been out of favour. His love for history, all things beautiful- within the context of art and their design is palpable. There isn’t ANY subject he doesn’t discuss- including his love life. I ADORED his impression of The Kaiser Karl Lagerfeld throughout- they are both sadly missed. ALT has secured his place in fashion history. 🌿
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ophelia Bellio
- 17-06-23
insightful
I enjoyed the honest insight into the personalities how they showed their power, a really touching story of a creative person who was also gave a lot to the art of fashion. An important black man's story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- kari monaghan
- 20-08-20
Amazing !
So interesting i loved this book !
A must for anyone intersetd in fashion and Vogue . A fabulous insight into the fashion world by of of the surviving fashion greats
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jackie
- 26-02-22
eye opener
highlights and insight into a world that at times seems to have an interchange between fantasy and ridiculousness. but, this book provides an account of how it's pieced together through hard work, passion and a love for the best and the possibilities of that. Not fantasy then just hope.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- JoanneJ
- 27-07-20
So much detail
This is a really good Memoir. It's always better to hear a memoir being read by the author, but Andre walks you through the Chiffon Trenches and describes everyone's clothes and character so well that you feel as though your walking with him.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher
- 17-06-20
Great insight into the fashion world
Really enjoyed listening to what must have been a great life experience. Well worth the time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- L. Bryant
- 08-06-20
Outstanding
One of the best books I have heard. Talley wrote it and read it as if we were old friends and he just has to tell me what he’s been doing. Let’s face it, fashion isn’t even skin deep. It’s what we layer over our skin. But Talley’s life has been fascinating and frankly, I love all the gossip. I think it’s better listened to than read, simply because Talley’s voice and emotion are so much a part of the story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lee Bear
- 16-07-20
Honest, insightful & fashionable.
From his days as a child, working with Andy Warhol, to how he got to Vogue. His experiences with Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, Karl Lagerfeld, Grace Coddington and YSL to name a few.
It was interesting to hear of the struggles and barriers of not just a black man, but also a black LGBTQ+ man of a certain age and the determination to be successful and powerful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful