Reviewed by Ramona Prioleau

The Gospel According to André is a 2017 documentary that chronicles the life and career of fashion journalist and superstar André Leon Talley. From his beginnings in Jim Crow-era North Carolina to his climbing of the ranks and barrier-breaking work at high-fashion magazines like Women’s Wear Daily and Vogue, the film is a patient but laser-focused telling of a life unlike many others.

Kate Novack, an accomplished documentarian in her own right, keeps The Gospel According to André on track and focused. This is important because Talley, who appears in the film himself at length, clearly has a version of his story in his head, but Novack, crucially for a documentary filmmaker, doesn’t always subscribe to it. The film never challenges Talley’s version of events, but it also understands that a man’s life is far more than just the story he tells himself. It’s also the stories others tell.

In this way then, The Gospel According to André is more than your average fashion documentary. A lot have come out in recent years, but The Gospel According to André is one of the view fashion docs that understands that, in the end, fashion isn’t really about fashion at all. Fashion explores the intersections of race, sexuality, and being, and so does this film. Novack tells a story that’s bigger than any one of its parts, bigger than its subject even, and she does it in a capable and satisfying manner.

The Gospel According to André is a must-wash for fashion fans, though fashion newbies shouldn’t stray away either. The film is exciting, engaging and boisterous, just like its subject. Critically though, it’s also wide-reaching and nuanced. This combination — infectious energy crossed with thoughtful direction — results in a film that’s a joy to watch from beginning to end. M

February 2022