Outside of fashion, Grace still strikes an impressive figure. Perhaps it’s her hair. Grace (2012) is the memoir of Grace Coddington, the British-born former model and current creative director of American Vogue magazine. Thrust recently into the spotlight through the documentary film The September Issue (2011) about the inside workings of the magazine, Grace is easily recognizable.
Coddington, “The
Cod”, writes of her early years, her loves and lovers, her personal and
professional partners, and of course fashion designers, models, celebrities, stylists,
photographers, make-up artists, hairdressers, assistants, and bosses. Every
aspect of the complex and complicated interconnected web of production to prop
to final photograph is detailed in an easy-to-read style, with a veritable list
of who’s who in the business.
From
inspiration to fully fledged photo shoot, Coddington explains how some of the most
memorable Vogue features were created, and how fashion publicity has changed over
time. Many of the features she describes will be instantly familiar to loyal
long-time Vogue readers. As Coddington describes her favourites, from clothes to
people, it will either affirm or question readers’ own interests and trends,
and re-ignite a passion for the retro, the past, and a much-loved piece or move
readers along to the current vogue.
Of most
interest, she accompanies the text with an impressive amount of personal
photographs and Vogue fashion spreads (British Vogue to American Vogue), but
also with many of her own line drawings.
Her memoir is
no back-stabbing expose of everyone in the fashion business. Quite the opposite
– it is a nostalgic reflection of her experiences and influences over fifty
years in the business, and told with candour, humour, and extreme grace.
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