The Gospel According to Andre (Kate Novack, 2017): USA

Reviewed by Savasia J. Vida at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, 2018.

Andre Leon Talley. Such a remarkable living legend who grew up in the segregated South to become one of the important globally-recognized names in the fashion world. His presence, his attitude, and his ambition are all incredibly inspiring for someone trying to overcome obstacles in life that are designed to suppress self-worth and dignity.

Through a documentary lens, Andre discusses the important slices of his life that made him who he is today — the influence of the Church structured not only his mannerisms but his sense of style and appreciation of African-Americans in general. The omnipresent discrimination of the South served as fuel for him to reach a status that his oppressors could not even imagine someone like him to succeed with grace.

The documentary style of this film sparks my interest particularly through the use of intertextual references and title-cards that mark the specific era Andre is speaking about. Andre highlights the pieces in fashion that emphasizes his individuality such as the cape while we journey through his specific tastes in fashion as an icon. Furthermore, the interviews with other fashion icons such as Marc Jacobs, Anna Wintour, and Tom Ford (just to name a few) validated his seemingly royal presence in the fashion world as someone who used self-confidence to defeat all odds. As the editor of Vogue, Andre is notably known for putting fashion “in a cultural context” — meaning, he organized photoshoots, created magazine covers/articles, and built relationships with models that emphasizes the value of black life and its beauty within a world where the fair-skinned prevails in most American media forms.

The Gospel According to Andre is an inspiring documentary on someone who came from nothing and ended up being one of the most significant somethings on a global scale. Anyone who has a particular love for the fashion industry must tune in on this dignifying autobiographical treat.