For all the years I wrote about and loved fashion, which have largely gone by the wayside, Talley's larger than life presence, his comments, editorials and knowledge were always a joy. What saddens me is that fashion, like any other self-absorbed industry, eats its own. Talley in particular, for his race, size and being queer, was an anomaly. As such, my fear is that from the beginning he had set himself up to be a circus performer no matter how bright, how educated, how competent he might become. It's a heartbreaker that so many felt quite happy to use him as an ornament for their own purposes. However, he was in the middle of that mess, and he can't have been blind to the extraordinary arrogance and self-absorption of the industry. That said, I do understand that hope that we all have to be accepted and loved by those we admire even if they don't deserve that admiration. As he ages, unlike Lagerfeld (for whom I had no fondness, and felt he was massively overrated at best) he will likely be further cast aside. I hope not. I hope he finds a way to carve out his own story late in life.