Grace: A Memoir

Image of Grace: A Memoir
Author(s): 
Release Date: 
November 20, 2012
Publisher/Imprint: 
Random House
Pages: 
304
Reviewed by: 

“Grace: A Memoir is a love letter to fashion . . .”

Grace: A Memoir is a love letter to fashion, describing the deep gratitude Grace Coddington has for the job she does and the life she has lived. And she does it in a manner that is revealing and enlightening, at times comical, and always enjoyably unpretentious.

Ms. Coddigton starts the story of her life chronologically from childhood to her years as a highly successful model in the 60s. But the story truly begins when she starts her editorial career. At that point the writer zigzags around in time, but the text is so endearing as to read like a conversation between the reader and the writer, who become great and personal friends through the telling. Her recollections are the stories of fashion legend and she “speaks” to the reader as if chatting over tea while her cats mill about at her feet.

As much as this is an engaging personal biography, the reader will find an even greater experience if s/he possesses prior knowledge of fashion during the early periods touched upon in the book as well as of current events.

Then there’s the relationship with Anna Wintour. Most fashionistas are curious to know all the juicy details, and Grace Coddington delivers them with great aplomb, making it clear that the two women’s lives have been deliciously intertwined for decades.

Aside from Ms. Wintour, Ms. Coddington speaks of those whom we don’t always acknowledge as integral parts of the fashion machine: the photographer, the makeup artists, the hairdressers, and all the assistants and staff whose labors contribute greatly to creating those monthly fantasies showcased in fashion publications. She is to be commended for really delving behind the scenes, acknowledging the contribution and talent of these players.

But the best aspect of Grace: A Memoir is that Ms. Coddington reveals intimate and personal details of her life. She is extremely forthcoming. This approach makes her seem even more endearing and quirky, steeped in undeniable talent, yet thoroughly present and down to earth despite a life story that reads in many ways like a fairy tale or a visionary’s dream made real.

If you love fashion and want to learn more about what makes the machine run, have an interest in the author and her life, or want a crash course in fashion then this book was written expressly for you.