“If Wintour is the Pope . . . Coddington is Michelangelo, trying to paint a fresh version of the Sistine Chapel twelve times a year.”—Time
Grace Coddington has emerged as a pop culture force we can't help but love. And the reasons are plenty. She's been a fashion admirer, participant and influencer. Before she was Vogue's supremely talented Creative Director, she was a successful fashion model. Before she was a model, she was a dedicated consumer of the fantasy world pages of Vogue, just like us.
In The September Issue, we get a chance to see Coddington in action. The Grace we had seen so often in photos comes to life. Surprise: she's the fire to Anna Wintour's ice. Grace sticks to her guns. It's a trait that Wintour admires. We admire it, too.
But even still, it is with Grace: The Memoir that we get to hear Grace's voice tell her own stories. We also get to see her charming, personality-filled drawings that illustrate the stories of her life. Yes, her stories are populated with larger than life celebrities like Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Moss and Madonna. But the stories come from Grace who remains fiercely Grace. Talented Grace. Witty Grace. Bluntly honest Grace who admits to loving cats, and doesn't hide big fashionista sunglasses or routine plastic surgery.
Grace Coddington for decades, has made it easy to fall in love with what we see on the pages of a magazine. And now we love the creative vision behind it all.
April is Grace Coddington's month. Happy Birthday, Grace. We heart you.