prada french coats, but it s been rough. reporter: he faced racism and homophobia but used his influence to push for inclusion. his legacy is really every time he knocked down a barrier, he made it easier for other people of color to achieve in fashion reporter: talley also advised the obamas on fashion and served as a judge on america s next top model . if you want to get to the top of the fashion industry, this is the man that you need to impress. reporter: today vogue s anna winter calls his loss immeasurable in this 2020 mémoire the chiffon trenches, talley wrote, to my twelve-year-old self, raised in the segregated south, the idea of a black man playing any kind of role in this world seemed an impossibility. to think of where i have come from, where we have come from in my lifetime, where we are today is amazing yet of course we still have so far to go. joe fryer, nbc news. up next, how one woman s garage is feeding her community and inspiring america.