The fashion world was abuzz on Wednesday when news broke out that Vogue’s former creative director André Leon Talley had died in a hospital in White Plains, New York. Hours after the initial announcement, an online search on Talley, who was 73 at the time of death, yielded over 1.5 million results.

Talley’s first magazine job was alongside Andy Warhol at Interview, followed by a stint as Paris bureau chief of John Fairchild’s Women’s Wear Daily, before he returned to New York where he joined Vogue, then led by Grace Mirabella.

Talley was the magazine’s fashion news director in 1983.

Five years later, he became Vogue’s creative director until he left in 1995 to join W Magazine. Talley continued to be a contributing editor at Vogue, returning after three years to be Vogue’s editor at large until finally leaving to pursue other ventures, including curating exhibits and writing his memoir, “The Chiffon Trenches,” published in 2020.

In an interview he gave to W Magazine then on the book’s publication, Talley recalled how he was able to imbibe all the buzzing stimuli that surround a fashion event and still come up with a thoughtful review. He also credited two of his mentors.

“When I go to sit down to review a collection, I sat down and I just went from memory. I analyze things as I see them,” he said.

“I learned from Mr. Fairchild how to analyze the personality behind the clothes, and I learned from Diana Vreeland how to appreciate the clothes—how the most important thing about a beautiful dress was how it was constructed on the inside. From these mentors, I learned how to analyze a rare world of style and fashion.”

Designer Diane von Furstenberg, one of Talley’s closest friends, wrote on Instagram using multiple heart and praying hands emojis: “Good bye darling André. No one saw the world in a more glamorous way than you did. No one was grander and more soulful than you were. The world will be less joyful. I have loved you and laughed with you for 45 years. I miss your loud screams. I love you soooo much.”

Bally’s new creative director

Talley’s death almost obscured news on Los Angeles-based Filipino designer Rhuigi Villaseñor’s appointment as Bally’s new creative director.

Villaseñor, 29, whose family immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in 2001, put up Rhude in 2015. He started by doing a T-shirt mock-up with a bandana print that was available in two colors, black or red.

In a profile published last year, GQ described the then 5-year-old brand as a “once-flailing T-shirt-and-hoodie operation . . . now worn by Jay-Z, Justin Bieber and an army of fashion-conscious young men who build and break brands.”Villaseñor admitted to GQ that as an immigrant, he felt like he was on the outside looking in, which appears to have worked in his favor. In the Rhude website, he credits his “understanding of garments and construction to growing up with a mother who was a tailor.” Now, his site sells cropped sweaters at $1,295, hoodies at $595, bike shorts at $350, trucker hats at $195 and socks at $60 a pair.

“Over the past three years, we have redefined our positioning, successfully consolidating the brand across product offering and customer touchpoints,” said Nicolas Girotto, chief executive officer of Bally, in a statement. “In this transformative moment, and having found the right champion in Rhuigi, we are ready to move Bally to the next level. I entrust Rhuigi, a talented visionary, to continue evolving the contemporary relevance of our brand and accelerate growth while preserving Bally’s core values,” he added.

Before joining the Swiss luxury brand, Villaseñor had already collaborated with several others, most notably sneaker brand Vans, a hat with the Los Angeles Lakers, cigars with Davidoff and a Formula 1 collection for the Monaco Grand Prix.

On his appointment as Bally’s new creative director, Villaseñor said the brand is “close to his heart” as it has been worn by his family for many years.

“I have always admired the Swiss approach to luxury, its discreet representation of excellence, and symbiotic openness and care for the environment. Nicolas and I connected on our shared vision, and it is with immense honor that I accept this challenge,” Villaseñor said.

His first collection for Bally will be for Spring/Summer 2023. His responsibilities include overseeing artistic direction across the brand, which is situated in both Los Angeles and Switzerland.