Andre Leon Talley

“First Ladies have always been held like specimens under a media microscope.”

“On 9/11, that morning, I was in a Christian Dior Couture appointment at the Hotel Pierre.”

“If you're going to be a model, what's going to get you the job on a go-see and makes you stand out, it might not be your lipstick or your portfolio or what you're wearing, it might come from your core being.”

“Wearing clothes should be a personal narrative of emotion. I always respond to fashion in an emotional way.”

“Valentino made my day suit for the wedding of Paloma Picasso in Paris.”

“One my favorite things is to go to the provinces of Russia and see the 18th century wood churches with the onion dome architecture. These humble wonders of incredible imagination of architects that were obviously not living in places like Paris or London, but they've created these amazing churches.”

“I watch Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, and Chris Matthews. That's what I watch every night. By the time I've watched them, I don't have time to watch reality TV shows.”

“People need to be edited; life needs to be edited. I need to be edited.”

“Money isn't everything, but it is when you start thinking about putting money away for your retirement days.”

“I always feel comfortable, basically in any situation except perhaps airports.”

“I'd like to be remembered as someone who made a difference in the lives of young people - that I nurtured someone and taught them to pursue their dreams and their careers, to leave a legacy.”

“There is room in today's world for men to wear dresses.”

“I personally go to the airport looking like a homeless person, because I think people will leave me alone. But I dress myself with my luggage - all my luggage matches.”

“There are no more Elizabeth Taylors. You could be fascinated by her, she lived so many lives, she lived far, she loved the jewels; she had gaudy taste but she had extraordinary talent.”

“When I have interns, I always say, 'Handwritten thank-you notes can make a difference.' People remember that - not an e-mail, a handwritten note in an envelope.”

“What's that show? 'TMZ'? They stand there and say, 'I've got this on this person.' The focus on celebrities can be detrimental because people could be thinking of other things, but it's a part of the culture and it's what sells.”

“Look at 'American Idol,' which I don't look at. Those winners haven't become household names except for Jennifer Hudson, and she was a reject. You can't aim to be a household name. You just have to be successful.”

“'Drekitude' is the lowest point in the lowest ebb. It could be your look. It could be your shoes. It could be that you're standing wrong. 'Drek' is a total, total, total hot mess.”

“The most luxurious item is a beautiful bed and beautiful, simple sheets.”

“In my day you didn't speak until spoken to.”