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 06/05/2008
André Leon Talley awarded honorary Doctor of Humanities degree at SCAD 2008 Commencement
André Leon Talley addressed the SCAD 2008 graduating class at commencement ceremonies in Savannah and Atlanta May 31. Image by Susan B. Landau.
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ATLANTA -- André Leon Talley, Vogue editor-at-large, addressed the Savannah College of Art and Design 2008 graduating class at commencement ceremonies in Savannah and Atlanta May 31. Talley was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in recognition of his contributions to the university at SCAD's 28th Savannah commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. at the Savannah Civic Center. He then addressed graduates at SCAD-Atlanta's second-annual commencement ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center.
"This is the highest accolade awarded by the Savannah College of Art and Design, and it is all the more special because he is such a dear friend to this great institution," said SCAD President Paula S. Wallace.
Talley's commencement speech was filled with humorous anecdotes and valuable advice from one of the most powerful and influential voices in fashion.
"There are no shortcuts in life," he told the new graduates. "Work hard and climb that mountain."
In addition to his work at Vogue, Talley is a member of SCAD's Board of Trustees. In May 2000, SCAD honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Subsequently renamed the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award, the honor has been bestowed on other fashion icons including Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Tom Ford, Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs and John Galliano. In 2004, Zac Posen was honored with the André Leon Talley New Look Award.
Talley's career at Vogue began in 1983, when he was hired as fashion news director. He served as creative director from 1988-95. After living in Paris, he returned to Vogue in 1998 to take on his current role. His editor-at-large duties led him to be the official voice of Oscar fashion at the 79th Annual Academy Awards and to curate a celebration of Oscar fashion: a retrospective of famous - and infamous - Oscar gowns.
Talley graduated from Brown University with a master's degree in French studies and went on to work with Andy Warhol at Interview magazine. From there, he began to forge a career in the world of high style, working closely with some of the most celebrated names in fashion, the arts and Hollywood.
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, Talley's work with legendary style authority Diana Vreeland confirmed his interest in fashion and its many cultural manifestations. Their relationship is richly detailed in his autobiography, "A.L.T.: A Memoir" (Villard, 2003). His latest book, "A.L.T. 365+" (powerHouse, 2005), chronicles 365 days of his life and offers a privileged and rare inside look at the people and places he encounters in his work and travels.
Named one of Kaplan's "25 cutting-edge schools with an eye toward the future," the Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., and in Lacoste, France. Undergraduate and graduate degree programs also are offered online through SCAD-eLearning. The college offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Fine Arts and Master of Urban Design degrees.
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