Grace – A Memoir by Grace Coddington: book review

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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