Revered fashion icon and journalist, editor-at-large for Vogue magazine, trailblazer. Born in Washington, D.C., André Leon Talley was raised by his grandmother in Durham, NC, where he grew up attending Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. The “Sunday best” outfits that surrounded him there would later influence his own trademark style. Developing his love for fashion at an early age, the young Talley wallpapered his pink bedroom with pages from Vogue magazine. He managed to emerge from the segregated Jim Crow-era South and graduate from North Carolina Central University, going on to win a scholarship to Brown University, where he earned a master’s degree.

Those early pages of Vogue would help define his career: Talley was the magazine’s fashion news director from 1983 to 1987, its first Black creative director from 1988 to 1995, and finally its editor-at-large from 1998 to 2013. During his time at Vogue , Talley worked alongside Anna Wintour, the magazine’s legendary editor-in-chief. Together, the two became a dominant force in the industry. Talley was a leader in pushing for diversity and inclusivity in the fashion world, featuring Black models and promoting talented Black designers. His persistence led to Naomi Campbell joining the list of Black models on the cover of Vogue .

At 6-feet-6-inches tall, Talley was known for his striking, difficult-to-ignore presence, between his physical stature and his eccentric, signature look–which often included a colorful cape or flowing caftan. As a journalist, he contributed to a number of other publications, including The New York Times , as well as Interview and W magazines. He also wrote three books, including his memoir “The Chiffon Trenches” published in 2020. Yet, Talley’s influence extended beyond the print world: He served on the judging panel for the TV show “America’s Next Top Model” and as a stylist for First Lady Michelle Obama. In 2020, France awarded him the Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres honor for arts and letters. A year later, his home state honored him with the North Carolina Award for his role in literature. Upon his death, model and friend Tyra Banks called Talley “a rare mix of fashion ‘fabulousness’ and real, down-home, Southern comfort love...a generous, genius historian...scholar, colleague, effervescent spirit, legend.”

Biscuitville Operator and respected mentor, Southern chef, wife, and proud grandmother. Tracy joined Biscuitville four years ago as Operator, opening our Henderson, NC, store in February 2020–not an easy time, given that it was only days before COVID-19 would begin to touch all of our lives. However, she stood strong and has been a valued member of the Biscuitville family ever since. During her tenure, Tracy has served as a Certified Training Manager for Shift Managers and Assistant Operators, as well as other Operators. Today she’s a mentor within our Future Leaders group and serves on our President’s Advisory Council, helping guide the future of the company.

With 35 years of experience in the food service industry, Tracy is a magnet that attracts and develops dynamic leaders. In fact, three of her current team members in Henderson have followed Tracy across various job opportunities over 15 years. She’s also very successful at opening new restaurant locations, having helped manage four different grand openings during her career. Born and raised in Kittrell (near Henderson), today Tracy lives in Stem, NC, with her husband Timothy. Together they have four grown daughters and are the proud grandparents of three beautiful grandsons, ages 8, 5, and 2. When she’s not busy at Biscuitville, she finds time to serve as an usher in her church in Kittrell and deliver food to homeless folks in her community.

Spend any time with Tracy and you’ll quickly learn that she loves how Biscuitville is all about “people first.” She’s a big fan of “Life After 2,” as well as the gratitude that’s inherent in our company culture. Perhaps most importantly, she believes in serving others, embracing the words of the late, great North Carolina poet, Maya Angelou: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

We encourage you to shop these books by celebrated Black authors from North Carolina and Virginia–available through our community partner Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, NC. Shop These Books Now