Reflection on André Leon Talley

“I scorched the earth with my talent and I let my light shine.”

- André Leon Talley

This is how Black queer, larger than life (literally tall) André Leon Talley discussed the magnitude of their talent in an interview with The Guardian in 2020. Bold, bright and fiery with the ability to change all that it touches. The imagery André evokes here reminds me of the lessons I’ve learned about fire and land both from living through California wildfire season over the years and learning about Indigenous practices of controlled burns.

To scorch the earth means to burn the surface with some sort of heat or fire. This might change the surface and could be seen as destructive - but destruction isn’t always bad. The burning might allow for something new to happen there. I think about the ways Indigenous groups in California such as the Yurok, Karuk and Hoopa Tribes used controlled burns to manage resources and encourage production of certain foods like acorns and huckleberries (these groups are currently working to restore cultural burning practices).

To scorch the earth with your talent alludes to transformation; to make space for another possibility to emerge. André’s vision, work, and presence in the fashion industry showed that Black people belong in fashion. Thanks for paving the way for others and helping to build a Black future, André.