Alexandra Shulman’s Notebook

Fashion loves giants – and Andre was a true colossus

ANDRE Leon Talley, the fashion journalist and commentator who died last week, was one of the industry’s great characters. At 6ft 7in, he was, quite literally, largerthan-life. Swathed in his Tom Ford kaftans and floor-length furs, with a booming Southern US accent and shrieking laugh, he was exactly the kind of exotically mannered figure most people imagine when they think of the fashion world.

Unlike many of those on fashion magazines, however, he was friends with the designers he reported on. The big beasts – Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, Donatella Versace – were all close acquaintances (though as Andre details in his memoir The Chiffon Trenches, he was hurt when some of these friendships turned out to be less deep than he had thought).

Just as unusual for a fashion journalist, his death has been covered extensively by the world’s media. Because as well as writing the story, Andre and his massive persona became the story.

It makes sense that the fashion world contains an unusually high number of exaggerated characters like Andre. Appearances are central to its workings. It relies on a huge element of smoke and mirrors to conjure desire for expensive clothes that are basically just a pile of fabric. So while there are naturally plenty of low-key grafters in the business (and very successful ones at that), they don’t engender the same fascination. They are less famous. And fame is a powerful selling tool.

In a world where image rules, Andre is not alone in using his bold persona to stand out. Lagerfeld, one of the most successful fashion figures of his generation, became a mega-star in part by becoming a larger-than-life figure. His powdered hair, high collars, fabulous jewellery and leather gloves – and the black-clad entourage that accompanied him like a cloud of gnats – constantly reinforced his own myth.

Marc Jacobs has his pearl necklaces, diamond studs and silver nail polish. Donatella, her blonde mane and perma-tan. Anna Wintour, the immaculate bob and sunglasses. They’re all as instantly recognisable as a Coca-Cola can.

As well as a kind and sensitive man, Andre Leon Talley was just such a fabulous creation. There was only one Andre – and at 73, he died too young.

A fitting tribute to trailblazer April

MY INSTAGRAM feed is currently full of RIP messages – Andre’s death provoked hundreds of them. But there is plenty of the usual social-media fare mixed in with the tributes. I always feel a little disconcerted when I see what are in effect death notices juxtaposed next to an interior designer’s enviable sitting room, an influencer prancing around in their newest look, or an ad for some kitchen utensil. I know I’m shown whatever the algorithm deems will interest me. But it seems somehow a little disrespectful. By contrast, I felt quite differently about the bottle of champagne popped open above the coffin of trailblazing transgender model and party-lover April Ashley as she was lowered into her Liverpool grave last week. An unusual spectacle, yes, but also a fitting tribute.

Some consolation in lockdown bubbles

I WONDER when it was that champagne became the tipple of celebration? Is it simply that the fizzy bubbles have always been the universal symbol of having good time? Surely not. In any case, last year champagne sales rose by 32 per cent. Since causes for celebration weren’t landing thick and fast in 2021 – and for much of that time parties (other than at Downing Street) were forbidden – could it be that champagne is now becoming the drink of consolation?

Bared-faced Vicky is keeping it real

IN PRE-publicity for the tonight’s new ITV drama Trigger Point, Vicky McClure reveals she is appearing without any make-up.

In the name of authenticity, she decided her character – ex-military bomb disposal operator Lana Washington – wouldn’t make ‘a big deal about how she looks’. I’m sure a bare-faced Vicky still looks better than most people in full slap, but her announcement will certainly make her appearance a bigger deal than it would be if she hadn’t told us in advance.

Now many of us will be peering at the screen just as much to examine her skin tone as her acting.

In reality, the military have relaxed the rules around women’s appearance. You can wear ‘inconspicuous’ nail polish and lipstick. And this year the hair rules have changed to include all manner of stylish braids and intricate plaits. Still no false lashes allowed, though. And men have to remain bare-faced – other than the daubs of camouflage.

Politicians don’t get rules of succession

ONE of the hallmarks of a robust business is having a succession plan. In politics, the idea of a succession plan appears to be total anathema. When has a Prime Minister ever considered the question of a successor anything but a threat? If Boris Johnson keeps his job, it will be in great part thanks to the fact that there is no obvious successor – which is nothing new.

Looking back over recent decades, there has never been a triumphant transfer of power within political parties.

Tony Blair’s handover to Gordon Brown was short-lived. David Cameron was replaced by Theresa May in a chaotic leadership battle that led us to the faltering Johnson of today. Invariably, a total change of government seems to be the ultimate result. Which is surely the last thing any prime minister wants when their time is up.

Ukraine’s identity is worth defending

A FEW years ago I visited Kiev, which I had always imagined a somewhat downtrodden, drab city. How wrong I was. It has wonderful architecture, delicious food, a delightful cafe life and a great appreciation of style.

There’s a large, young, optimistic, culture-loving population determined to make the best of their lives. All the young people I met thought of themselves as Ukrainian, often born just before they gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The older people I came across, who had lived years under Soviet rule, had a more complicated relationship with their Ukrainian identity.

Despite seemingly endless conflict with Putin, they all seemed utterly determined to remain positive about their country’s future – a spirit they will need today as much as ever, with 100,000 Russian troops amassing on the border.