The celebration coincides with the opening of André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever, a landmark exhibition honoring the late fashion luminary’s enduring influence
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will present Pharrell Williams with the 2025 André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his visionary impact across fashion, music, and culture. The honor anchors the university’s week-long festivities marking the opening of André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever—a major exhibition at the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion & Film that celebrates the late editor’s sartorial legacy and his two-decade relationship with the university.
Williams—creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear, founder of Humanrace, and a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts Education follows a lineage of award recipients including Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, and Christopher John Rogers. In accepting the honor, Williams reflected on Talley’s influence as a cultural force remarking how “André showed us that creativity has no boundaries — it moves between art, fashion, and culture as a force that unites us”. In similar light, Williams’ creative pursuits reflect this sentiment through his influence across fashion, music, film, and culture.
Curated by SCAD FASH creative director Rafael Gomes, Style Is Forever opens to the public on October 15 and features garments, accessories, and personal ephemera from Talley’s own collection—an extraordinary bequest to the university. The exhibition traces his lifelong devotion to couture and his work as a champion of emerging designers, while also underscoring his pivotal role in shaping SCAD’s global fashion reputation. Talley served on SCAD’s Board of Trustees for over 13 years and was the inaugural recipient of the award that now bears his name.
Together, the exhibition and award presentation encapsulate both continuity and renewal: SCAD’s ongoing dialogue between education and industry, and Talley’s enduring influence on fashion’s future. In honoring Williams—an artist who, like Talley, blurs the boundaries between disciplines—the university reaffirms its commitment to nurturing visionaries who redefine creative culture on their own terms.
