Grace Coddington

Pamela Rosalind Grace Coddington (born 20 April 1941) is a Welsh former model and former creative director at large of American Vogue magazine.[1] Coddington is known for the creation of large, complex and dramatic photoshoots.[2][3] A Guardian profile wrote that she "has produced some of fashion's most memorable imagery. Her pictures might be jolly and decadent or moody and mysterious."[4]

Grace Coddington
Grace Coddington in September 2018
Born
Pamela Rosalind Grace Coddington

(1941-04-20) 20 April 1941
Anglesey, Wales
Occupation
TitleCreative Director for US Vogue
Spouse(s)
Michael Chow
(m. 1968; div. 1969)
Partner(s)Didier Malige (1986–present)
WebsiteGraceCoddington.com

Early life

Coddington was born on the island of Anglesey, Wales, to hotelier parents. Her interest in fashion began in her teens, when she would anxiously await the arrival of a current issue of Vogue magazine, which was at least three months outdated because she needed to order it on "rush-copy." Coddington lived many miles away from any designer shops, so Vogue was her only connection to the fashion world. She says that she loves "the whole sort of chic thing ("Italianate culture") [about Vogue] that was so entirely out of context compared to the lifestyle that [she] led." As a teen, she was pale-skinned, convent-educated and never went anywhere on her holidays, so she just looked at Vogue.[1]

Career

Modeling

Around the age of 17, there was a Vogue model competition, and someone submitted her pictures. She ended up winning the Young Model section. She then began her modelling career for Vogue.[5]

At the age of 26, she was in car accident that left her with head injuries and a removed eyelid, which was later reconstructed through plastic surgery.

Editor

Two years after the accident she was interviewed by British Vogue's Editor, Beatrix Miller, and was employed as a Junior Editor. After nineteen years as Photo Editor with British Vogue,[6] she moved to New York to work for Calvin Klein.[7] In July 1988, she joined Anna Wintour at American Vogue, where she worked as the magazine's creative director.

As of January 2016, Coddington announced that she would be exiting her role as creative director at Vogue to pursue other projects. It was announced on 9 May 2016 that Coddington would be working with Tiffany & Co.[8]

The September Issue

Coddington came into the public eye in 2009 with the release of The September Issue, a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the making of the September 2007 issue of Vogue. She plays a prominent role in the film as she is heavily involved in the styling and production of the issue. Her often-tense relationship with editor Anna Wintour is also highlighted.[9]

In the season 3 of the anthology series American Horror Story, American actress Frances Conroy interprets the iconic Myrtle Snow. The character's red hair, as well as her passion for fashion, are considered as a tribute to the ex-model Grace Coddington.[10]

Personal life

Coddington was married in 1968 to Michael Chow, a restaurateur. They divorced a year later.[11] She later married the photographer Willie Christie. They divorced in 1980.[12]

She raised her nephew Tristan, since the age of 8, after the death of her sister Rosemary.[13]

In 1986, she moved to New York to work for Calvin Klein.[7] She has since then lived with her partner, hair stylist Didier Malige, and several cats.[14]

In 2010, she announced plans to write a memoir with her collaborator Jay Fielden. The two had previously worked together on the 2002 photo book, Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue.[15] The book was reissued in by Phaidon in 2015.[16] But after Jay took a job as the editor of Town & Country, Grace had to postpone writing the book until 2011, after she decided to write the book with Michael Roberts. The book deal is reported to be worth $1.2 million.[17][18] Her memoir, Grace, was published in November 2012.[1] In 2015, film production company A24 optioned the rights to Coddington's memoir.[19]

Works and publications
  • Coddington, Grace (art direction and photo editing); Roberts, Michael (art direction and photo editing) (2002). Felden, Jay (ed.). Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue. Paris: Edition 7L. ISBN 978-0-714-87059-5. OCLC 863491683. – first volume of collected work
  • Wintour, Anna (introduction by); Talley, André Leon (essay by); Galliano, John (essay by); Blahnik, Manolo (essay by); Roberts, Michael; Mangerson, Sarah (art direction by) (2005). Coddington, Grace (ed.). The Snippy World of New Yorker Fashion Artist Michael Roberts. Paris: Edition 7L. ISBN 978-3-865-21151-4. OCLC 62735193.
  • Coddington, Grace (drawings & dialogue); Malige, Didier (photographs) (2006). The Catwalk Cats. Paris: Edition 7L. ISBN 978-3-865-21344-0. OCLC 85892968.
  • Coddington, Grace; Roberts, Michael (with) (2012). Grace: A Memoir. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-307-36276-6. OCLC 820839600.
  • Coddington, Grace (foreword by); Gordon, Michael (foreword by); Gordon, Heather (supplementary writing and editing by) (2012). Vidal Sassoon: How One Man Changed the World with a Pair of Scissors. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0-847-83859-2. OCLC 783165292.
  • Muir, Robin (text by); Coddington, Grace (foreword by) (2012). Donovan, Diana; Hillman, David (eds.). Terence Donovan Fashion. London: Art/Books. ISBN 978-1-908-97002-2. OCLC 805020848.
  • Coddington, Grace (2014). "The Lipizzaner". In Armstrong-Jones Snowdon, Antony (Earl of) (ed.). Snowdon: A Life in View. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0-847-84328-2. OCLC 884743826.
  • Coddington, Grace (art direction and photo editing); Roberts, Michael (art direction and photo editing) (2016). Grace: The American Vogue Years. London: Phaidon Press Limited. ISBN 978-0-714-87197-4. OCLC 949911080. – second and final volume of collected work
  • Frankel, Susannah; Jones, Stephen (with); Coddington, Grace (foreword by) (2016). Stephen Jones: Souvenirs. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0-847-84879-9. OCLC 940933243.
  • Coddington, Grace (art direction and photo editing); Roberts, Michael (art direction and photo editing) (2016). Saving Grace: My Fashion Archive 1968-2016. London/New York: Phaidon Press Limited. ISBN 978-0-714-87371-8. OCLC 978709796. – combined volumes one and two of collected work
  • Roberts, Michael; Coddington, Grace (foreword by) (2017). GingerNutz: Memoir of a Model Orangutan. New York: Distributed Art Publishers. ISBN 978-0-998-70180-6. OCLC 1063480497.
  • Roberts, Michael; Coddington, Grace (foreword by) (2018). GingerNutz Takes Paris: An Orangutan Conquers Fashion. New York: Distributed Art Publishers. ISBN 978-0-998-70183-7. OCLC 1042076917.

References
  1. Coddington, Grace; Roberts, Michael (with) (2012). Grace: A Memoir. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-307-36276-6. OCLC 820839600.
  2. Wiseman, Eva. "Amazing Grace Coddington: inside the world of US Vogue's creative director". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  3. Holgate, Mark. "State of Grace". New York. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  4. Marriott, Hannah. "Grace Coddington: the woman who made fashion art". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  5. These biographical details are from interviews appearing in the 2009 film, The September Issue in which Coddington is featured alongside Anna Wintour as they prepared the 2007 September issue of Vogue.
  6. "Grace Coddington", Time magazine, 28 August 2003
  7. Mark Holgate, "State of Grace", New York magazine, 25 August 2002
  8. Sherman, Lauren (20 January 2016). "BoF Exclusive: Grace Coddington to Step Down as Creative Director of American Vogue". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  9. Bryan Moylan, "How Grace Coddington Stole The September Issue from Anna Wintour" Archived 6 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Gawker, 24 August 2009
  10. "Myrtle Snow's Best Fashion Moments From American Horror Story: Coven". The Cut. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  11. Lydia Martin, "A quiet interview with 'Mr. Chow'", The Miami Herald, 31 January 2010
  12. http://www.popsugar.com/fashion/Grace-Coddington-Why-She-Once-Quit-While-Working-Under-Anna-Wintour-14920115
  13. "Picture Perfect," by Charles Gandee, VOGUE, October 1996, page 339.
  14. Grace Coddington, Didier Malige, Sally Singer, and Michael Roberts (2006). The Catwalk Cats. Edition 7L. ISBN 9783865213440.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  15. Coddington, Grace (2002). Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue. Steidl Publishing. ISBN 9783882438185.
  16. Steigrad, Alexandra. "Grace Coddington to Release Two Books With Phaidon". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  17. Elle,"Grace Coddington bags a book deal" Archived 7 September 2012 at Archive.today
  18. Nick Axelrod, "Coddington Memoir... TV Camera Ready...", Women's Wear Daily, 22 August 2010
  19. Mau, Dhani (4 October 2015). "A Grace Coddington Movie is in the Works". Fashionista. Retrieved 25 January 2016.

Further reading
  • Cutler, R. J.; Wintour, Anna; Coddington, Grace; Talley, André Leon; Wang, Vera; Thakoon; De la Renta, Oscar; Galiano, John; Lagerfeld, Karl (2009). The September Issue (Motion picture). Burbank, CA: Lionsgate. OCLC 1014073028.
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