Exclusive: Andre Leon Talley Defends 'Vogue' Cover of Kim & Kanye

People are still talking about Vogue's decision to put Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on the cover of the April 2014 issue of the iconic magazine and now former Vogue Contributing Editor and Zappos Artistic Director André Leon Talley is opening up to ET about his feelings on the controversial cover.

"Kim is to me a fashion icon," Talley said about Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue Anna Wintour's decision. "On my Zappos couture site, I had already called her 'Muse of the Month'…She's aspirational to a lot of young girls."

Talley goes on to say, "There are haters about the Vogue cover, I don't get hate. This is Anna Wintour's version of just celebrating achievement. Kanye's achievement as a great rapper, and a great businessman. And Kim's achievement as a public figure, an iconic woman of her time, who has managed to be in the limelight with a reality show."

While discussing Kardashian's appearance last night on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Talley describes the relationship that Wintour has with her daughter Katherine "Bee" Shaffer, a segment producer for the NBC late night talk show. "Anna is very close to her daughter…and therefore I would say, without official knowledge, that the [Late Night With Seth Meyers] show is an ancillary branch of Vogue.  If it [has] anything to do with Anna Wintour and Bee, you'll see a lot of people on that set…that have come through Vogue."