Grace

A Memoir

By: Grace Coddington

Narrated by: Grace Coddington

Beautiful. Willful. Charming. Blunt. Grace Coddington’s extraordinary talent and fierce dedication to her work as creative director of Vogue have made her an international icon. Known through much of her career only to those behind the scenes, she might have remained fashion’s best-kept secret were it not for The September Issue, the acclaimed 2009 documentary that turned publicity-averse Grace into a sudden, reluctant celebrity. Grace’s palpable engagement with her work brought a rare insight into the passion that produces many of the magazine’s most memorable shoots.

With the witty, forthright voice that has endeared her to her colleagues and peers for more than forty years, Grace now creatively directs the listener through the storied narrative of her life so far. Evoking the time when models had to tote their own bags and props to shoots, Grace describes her early career as a model, working with such world-class photographers as David Bailey and Norman Parkinson, before she stepped behind the camera to become a fashion editor at British Vogue in the late 1960s. Here she began creating the fantasy “travelogues” that would become her trademark. In 1988 she joined American Vogue, where her breathtakingly romantic and imaginative fashion features, a sampling of which appear in this book, have become instant classics.

Grace will introduce listeners to the colorful designers, hairstylists, makeup artists, photographers, models, and celebrities with whom Grace has created her signature images. Grace reveals her private world with equal candor—the car accident that almost derailed her modeling career, her two marriages, the untimely death of her sister, Rosemary, her friendship with Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Liz Tilberis, and her thirty-year romance with Didier Malige. Finally, Grace describes her abiding relationship with Anna Wintour, and the evolving mastery by which she has come to define the height of fashion.

Includes a bonus PDF of photos from the book.

“If Wintour is the Pope . . . Coddington is Michelangelo, trying to paint a fresh version of the Sistine Chapel twelve times a year.”—Time

Timeless Grace.

How can you NOT like Grace Coddington? Like many, I fell in love with her after seeing The September Issue. What I loved about this book was her candor, honesty and no-nonsense talk about the fashion world. She is the hardest working woman in fashion and she takes us through her start as a model, her transition to behind the scenes, and her eventual arrival at American Vogue. This was a fascinating listen and I loved her narration. If you enjoy fashion biographies...this is a must.

Fascinating Fashion Industry Book

I really enjoyed this book; I listened to it during almost every spare moment for a couple days. After completing the book I went on a rampage to find more like it. Alas, this is the only one. This book provided a first hand perspective of the fashion industry. I am sure Grace has more stories to tell. It would be wonderful if she wrote another book. After enough time has passed I am sure I will listen to this book again.

I loved…

Grace’s perspective on life and the world of fashion. I came to her memoir based on reading Andre Leon Talley’s. I’m by no means a fashionista, but this book was wonderful.

Grace a Memoir

If you enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada you will like Grace. Her road to the fashion industry and Anna Wintour is interesting and personal. She is funny, insightful and tells her story with both humor and honesty.

Highly entertaining and endearing

Educating for fashion friends, warm hearted and graceful in every way. Absolutely loved it. Well read!