André Leon Talley grew up in the Jim Crow South in the 1950s. His father was a taxi driver and one of his grandfathers was a sharecropper. Talley was raised by his maternal grandmother, Binnie Francis Davis, a cleaning lady who gave him an “understanding of luxury.” He earned a masters in French Literature from Brown University and planned to teach French. But fate decided on fashion. In 1974, as an unpaid apprentice, Talley began assisting Diana Vreeland at the Met Costume Institute. He pivoted to print, working his way up through Interview, WWD, and W, then on to Vogue, where he became the magazine’s first Black creative director. Talley was a voice and a force. He died in 2022, at age 73. This auction, which takes place just an hour by car from Talley’s home in White Plans, New York, reflects all facets of his life. Items in the sale include two handmade Versace chainmail tunics, exquisite furs, and vintage couture. Word on the street is that bidding will be warfare because many major players were outbid at the Christie’s sale. —Elena Clavarino