(NEW YORK) Zappos Couture is upping the ante with the hire of André Leon Talley as their artistic director. The online shoe vendor offers a slew of shoe styles, from sensible sneakers to Salvatore Ferragamo, with an aim to increase sales on the luxury side. Talley will supervise the content including shoots for merch, product videos, and trend reports, as part of Zappos’ efforts to lure high-end retailers and shoppers to the site. Zappos Couture is the high-priced spin off of the original Zappos e-shop, which was launched in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn.
Talley bid adieu to Vogue in April of this year, after three decades at the glossy. He joined Vogue as fashion news editor in 1983, rising through the ranks from creative director in 1988 to editor-at-large in 1997, until he became a contributing editor in 2010. Talley’s previous titles include fashion editor at Interview, Paris fashion editor at WWD, and bureau chief at W. Following his departure from Vogue, Talley joined Numéro Russia as editor-at-large, a position he will maintain along with his editorial work at Zappos.
Current labels at Zappos Couture include Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Lanvin and the like. With Talley on board, the e-tailer aims to increase the product spread from shoes and accessories to RTW designer wares. In a statement to WWD, Talley discussed his plans for the site: “create something unique, in terms of a Web magazine that conveys the immediacy and excitement of luxury retail products, season by season.” However, don’t expect the former Vogue mainstay to be shilling shoes; his contract forbids him from interfering in sales and merchandising. Doing those editorial roots proud, ALT!
