was in the number-two spot at the magazine. Eventually Wintour rose to editor in chief in 1988 and she took him with her. Wintour made her mark at the magazine and, subsequently, became the most powerful person in fashion and Talley was by her side.
When Talley entered his mid 40s, he began to gain weight. “I began to realize I had a problem. I had never exercised.” He was feeling particularly un--like one day and Wintour took notice. She called him at his desk and told him, “You need to start working out.” He lost weight and could once again “wear my beautiful suits.” He gained weight again. In 2004, there was an intervention. He was called to theconference dining room.
RELATED VIDEO: Adele’s Transformation ‘Was Never About Losing Weight,' Says Source: ‘She Seems Happier Overall’ “I had not been successful at dieting,” he remembers. “But I did it. I lost 55 lbs. But I did not follow the rules.” He would return two more times — “It’s the same with alcohol, I’d often say ‘I’ve fallen off the wagon,’ when I’d go back to Duke — and have an unsuccessful Lap Band surgery. His battle continues today. “I cannot control this addiction,” he says. “I am obese.”
“I am just a sinner when it comes to food,” he says. “Yes, it’s an addiction. Overeating is an addiction: When you don’t realize that the calories that go in have to go out.” Talley struggles every day. “I am a victim of my food. It is a behavioral problem. I’ve always associated food with love.”