André Leon Talley, the influential former creative director and editor at large of Vogue magazine, has died. He was 73.

David Vigliano, Talley’s literary agent, confirmed Talley’s death to USA Today late Tuesday, but no additional details were immediately available.

Talley worked as a fashion journalist at Women’s Wear Daily and Vogue. He was a regular in the front row of fashion shows in New York and Europe.

In a 2013 Vanity Fair spread titled “The Eyeful Tower,” Talley was described as “perhaps the industry’s most important link to the past.”

Designer Tom Ford told the magazine Talley was “one of the last great fashion editors who has an incredible sense of fashion history. He can see through everything you do to the original reference, predict what was on your inspiration board.”