New York Magazine recently caught up with Jason Riffe, a young man they call Andre Leon Talley’s protege and personal photographer:

He got his start by drive and determination, enrolling in Savannah’s College of Art & Design (knowing ALT’s relationship with the school), then persistently sending him e-mails until Vogue’s Editor-at-Large allowed Jiffe to shadow him to many high wattage events.

In the article Jiffe says, “I knew [that] if I wanted to be the next American fashion photographer, I needed to shoot for Vogue; I needed to work for Andre Talley. He is the definition of fashion for the world. Other than him, it would be Anna Wintour. I found he was on the board at SCAD, and that was the only reason I chose that school. I did whatever I had to do to go there, just so I could meet Andre Talley.”

Apparently very few of the students at SCAD even knew who Andre Leon Talley was, which created an opening for Jiffe. Talk about smart and resourceful.

Read Jiffe’s Q & A with NYMag  here.