Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley to speak at graduation
By Gray Chapman
SCAD has officially announced that the special guest speaker for the 2008 commencement ceremonies in Atlanta and Savannah will be Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley. Both ceremonies will take place Saturday, May 31. Talley will speak at the SCAD-Atlanta ceremony at 6 p.m. The SCAD-Atlanta graduation ceremony will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Known throughout the fashion industry for his lengthy career with Vogue, Talley has worked in fashion since his graduation from Brown University. He began with a position at Interview Magazine, where he worked with Andy Warhol. Talley has worked with Vogue as fashion news director, creative director and editor-at-large, his current position.
Though Talley is a widely-recognized figure in the fashion industry, he is also closely associated with SCAD. Talley currently serves as a member of SCAD’s Board of Trustees. In 2000, SCAD honored Talley with a Lifetime Achievement Award; the award was then renamed to include Talley’s name and has been presented to a fashion icon every year at the annual SCAD Fashion Show. Past honorees include Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Tom Ford, Vera Wang and Marc Jacobs.
The decision to invite Talley to speak was based not only on his vast experience in the design world, but also on his contributions to SCAD. SCAD-Atlanta Vice President P.J. Johnson said, “We are truly delighted to have André Leon Talley as our SCAD-Atlanta commencement speaker. He is an icon of the fashion world, and his support of SCAD has been unwavering as a member of the board of trustees. I can promise his commencement address will be interesting and inspirational.”
Talley’s continuing relationship with SCAD is appreciated not only by the administration, but also by many students. Tanisha Bess, a fourth-year fashion major, said that she appreciates the connection that Talley maintains with SCAD. “I know that Talley does a lot of work with SCAD, and he has kept a great relationship with the fashion department. It’s wonderful that SCAD has such an influential connection in the fashion industry.”
Many students, particularly those interested in the fashion industry, expressed excitement upon hearing the announcement. Bess said that she was very impressed to hear that Talley would be speaking to the graduating class. “I think it’s a really good thing — it’s great that SCAD can get such a big name to come and speak, especially for graduation.”
Graduation tickets are available to fourth-year students who present a valid SCAD ID and have completed all of the necessary requirements. Students can pick up their graduation tickets in the Office of Student Resources. Graduating students will receive eight tickets each; there is no way to acquire extra tickets, but they are transferable.
For more information, about the 2008 SCAD-Atlanta commencement ceremony, contact Diana Gamzon at dgamzon@scad.edu.