André Leon Talley's personal collection is for sale

A portion of the auction’s proceeds will benefit a church in Durham.

From colorful custom caftans to monogrammed Louis Vuitton luggage, Durhamite and late fashion editor André Leon Talley’s personal collection is elegant, extravagant, and unequivocally designer. And it will soon be up for auction.

Hundreds of pieces of rare art, accessories, clothing, jewelry, correspondence, and photography that belonged to Talley will be auctioned off beginning later this month. The sale of his personal collection is so significant that the New York Times is calling it “The Fashion Sale of the Century.”

Talley was raised by his grandmother in Durham, where he attended Hillside High School and North Carolina Central University. He became Vogue’s first Black creative director in 1988 and later became editor-at-large, working closely with legendary editor Anna Wintour for decades. Talley died on Jan. 18, 2022 at the age of 73 and will be remembered as a fashion journalist pioneer.

“The Collection of André Leon Talley,” comprised of 448 lots, will be shown in Palm Beach, FL, Paris Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week before most of it is auctioned off by Christie’s, a New York City auction house. Bidding will begin online for 356 lots on Friday, Jan. 27, followed by a live auction for 68 lots on Feb. 15.

The pieces are valued at prices ranging from $200 for a group of designer gloves to $200,000 for an Andy Warhol original. Other notable items include Talley’s iconic Tom Ford kimono, a Jacob & Co. colored diamond watch, and Louis Vuitton graffitied briefcases.

All of the proceeds will go to Black churches — one of which is in Durham. The money will be split between his childhood church Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church and the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York.

Preview some of the items for sale below.