André Leon Talley slams Russell Simmons: ‘He should not be front row at fashion week’

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According to Vogue, “André Leon Talley doesn’t have fashion. André himself is fashion.” This week the fashion warlord took a break from his work as editor-in-chief of Russian style magazine Numéro Russia, to celebrate fashion week in New York City.

In part 2 of his interview with theGrio’s Chris Witherspoon, Talley opens up about the marriage of hip-hop and high fashion, and also weighs in on fashion mogul Russell Simmons’ video parody depicting a supposed Harriet Tubman making a sex tape.

Talley says he loves Jay Z’s track “Tom Ford,” from his new Magna Carta Holy Grail album.

“Tom Ford probably is flattered,” Talley said of Jay Z’s new song. “Remember Beyoncé walked in his first show in New York when he came back to women’s clothing, about 4 or 5 years ago. So it’s of course a compliment to Tom Ford…The hip-hop moguls and hip-hop icons love Tom Ford. The marriage of hip-hop and fashion it’s a fluid thing, it’s an organic thing.”

Over the past decade, hip-hop heavyweights like Jay Z, Kanye West, and Russell Simmons have graced the front row of fashion shows around the world. However, Talley says Simmons should be banned from front rows of fashion shows this season.

“I think anyone that is a person of achievement on the front row that has achieved a great deal be they black or white is a good thing,” the former Vogue editor at large said.

“I don’t think Russell Simmons should be seated on anybody’s front row this week after having done that disgusting Harriet Tubman sex tape. He is a man of great achievement. He is a great philanthropist….why would he think it would be an honorable thing to do? He said he thought it was funny. That is not funny it is outrageously disrespectful to the legacy and history of Harriet Tubman and to the struggle.”

Watch André Leon Talley discuss racism in the fashion industry below:

Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter for more Entertainment news at @WitherspoonC