Grace: by Grace Coddington

grace

I’m sorry to say I only first heard of Grace Coddington while watching ‘The September Issue’, the fast-paced 2009 documentary behind Vogue magazine’s annual September issue- the biggest of the year. Who was this lady stomping about the place, red frizzy hair flying, growling at Anna (quelle horreur!!) who was also the second highest on the masthead of Vogue (the credits page) and arguably the most important person on staff? Grace Coddington, it turns out, is a hidden gem to the public but long known behind the scenes as a (THE) fantastically talented creative director of American Vogue. When I learned that Grace had written a memoir I wanted to read it, but only tracked it down this last year. Behold:

Grace as a young model

Grace as a young model

What is a creative editor/director? Basically the creative supervisor for all the fashion spreads who conceives the ‘story’ for the shoot, chooses the clothes, the models, the lighting, the staging, etc. etc. etc. sees it through to its final form ready for publishing; who takes ideas and instructions for implementation from Anna Wintour, the designers, the advertisers, and so much more. I’m sure I’ve woefully understated the complexity of it all.

US Vogue's artistic director Grace Coddington (L) and US Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour chat prior to the Chanel Spring/Summer 2013 ready-to-wear collection show on October 2, 2012 at the Grand Palais in Paris. AFP PHOTO/MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/GettyImages)

US Vogue’s artistic director Grace Coddington (L) and US Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour chat prior to the Chanel Spring/Summer 2013 ready-to-wear collection show on October 2, 2012 at the Grand Palais in Paris. AFP PHOTO/MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/GettyImages)

The best way to get a feel for it is simply to read ‘Grace’ as she takes the reader along for a delightful journey from her upbringing in tiny, wet and windy Wales; to London, Paris, Milan and eventually New York. Grace was born in 1941 and became a model early on, almost immediately coming into contact with the best, brightest, and most talented in the fashion industry. When Grace name drops, it isn’t name dropping. She is actual close and familiar friends – or at least close and familiar acquaintances! with the biggest names of past and present. Karl Lagerfield, Calvin Klein, Galliano, Marc Jacobs, Hamish Bowles, almost anyone you can think of. She even styled Prince Charles, and apparently the styling team nearly ran over the Queen while racing to get a shot of Princess Anne on her horse! These little stories make up the lifeblood of the book, but Grace Coddington the person comes through clear and strong.

Grace was on hand for all the pages of this Alice in Wonderland themed shoot, one of my all-time favorites. This picture (as do most of them) has a hilarious little back-story, BUT you have to read it! Or if you ask very nicely I might share it :)

Grace was on hand for all the pages of this Alice in Wonderland themed shoot, one of my all-time favorites. This picture (as do most of them) has a hilarious little back-story, BUT you have to read it! Or if you ask very nicely I might share it 🙂

The very best part about Grace Coddington I think, is that she has all the experience, taste and friends to be the world’s biggest snob – Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ x 1000 – but she isn’t. Instead she’s humble, delightfully kooky, and down to earth in the most puzzling way as someone who’s entire life is fashion-centric. I actually purchased her memoir after reading it the first time and just finished it again.

‘Grace’ is a story simply told marked by humor, grace (haha) about the bad times, and illustrations of fashionable cats. It’s great fun to read all the behind the scenes anecdotes about very famous photographers (Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier, Helmut Newton) and realize Grace has been the author of some of the best and most famous shoots in Vogue history.

Vogue spread for the original Zoolander

Vogue spread for the original Zoolander

Ben Stiller with Stella Tenant (I recognized her, personal pat on the back since it's been over a decade since I was really 'into' fashion)

Ben Stiller with Stella Tenant (I recognized her, personal pat on the back since it’s been over a decade since I was really ‘into’ fashion)

The charm of its author comes through while not bothering with any themes too deep or dark, or making you think very hard about life and what’s it all about? Sometimes this works in a memoir and this is one of those times.

One of several such images portraying very serious, very fabulous people in that lighthearted fashion Grace has.

One of several such images portraying very serious, very fabulous people in that lighthearted fashion Grace has.

‘Grace’ leaves nothing out: her childhood, her marriages (firstly to Micheal Chow of all people!), her relationship with Anna Wintour, her travels, and…her hair. I found the whirlwind story of her life fun and inspiring, actually, I hope you do too.

Please comment with any thoughts!

Catwalk cats, drawn by Grace. Meow!

Catwalk cats, drawn by Grace. Meow!

 

 

About Deanne

I was born and raised out on the fringes of the rainy Pacific Northwest on fishing boats and cold beaches with only a dog and kittens for company, and so my love of reading and creating stories started very early. My dad would illustrate my early stories and I would listen to him ramble about European history and warfare, eagerly asking questions about Kings, Queens and our own family history. In my adult life I am wife to a brilliant and hilarious web designer and mother to two wonderfully weird children whom I am trying to pass on to my love of learning about the world. I'm an amateur genealogist, amateur photographer and amateur history major haha. I'm good at doing amateur stuff lol. During the last couple years I finally turned my life-long urge to write into a serious endeavor and finished my first novel called (for now) The Stone and the Stars, about a dying dystopian society, and one girl trying to escape it before it collapses. While I finish cleaning up the edges on my novel for the umpteenth time, and before I send it out into the world, I've lately begun a novel about utopia, this time on Earth. I'm finally living up to the nerdy book-worm title my family 'lovingly' pinned on me from the time I was small, and finally doing that one thing I feel like I was born to do. Cliche and silly? Yes!
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