Grace: A Memoir

By: Grace Coddington

Narrated by: Grace Coddington

Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Narration by the Author or Authors, 2014

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 40 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.

Delightfully underscored by Grace’s pen-and-ink illustrations, 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 30-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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2012 Grace Coddington (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"If Wintour is the Pope...Coddington is Michelangelo, trying to paint a fresh version of the Sistine Chapel 12 times a year." (Time)

Grace the great!

Beautiful perspective of an industry so often fluffed by shallow tales. Grace is so humble and humbling to hear. Now if only I can figure out how to view the PDF...

Sincere

I really appreciated this book, and you can tell that she was frank. I bet that it was hard for her not to name drop especially because 90 percent of the people she knows are famous. I will say this she positive about Andre Talley, and in my opinion, he did not do the same in his book about her. The fact that she 70yrs old and is still working in such a competitive field is amazing.

Loved it

It was beyond expectations. I really enjoyed her fairytale like life story. Having Grace read the book made it that much better.

Her Voice

I know all about her life and compared to someone like Joan Juliet Buck ...I don’t get it. Also her voice is so sing songy and all the stories are superficial. That said, I guess being an editor is superficial. Just read some other books like this with better narrators and more complex authors so I can’t help but compare!

Interesting story, especially if the world of fashion intrigues you

Grace Coddington is a lovely story teller. She has had an interesting career albeit not planned but organically developed

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!

Loved every chapter!

I had heard of Grace Coddington and her creative talent for many years- myself being involved in the creative side of retail as a fashion illustrator. I found her memoir fascinating from start to finish and was so sorry to reach the last chapter! Her recollections of the famous names in fashion are interesting and well rounded. She brings these people into clear focus as she does her own personality. I found myself thinking that I wished I had known her or worked with her. She is unique and colorful while still being grounded and very balanced . She tells the story of the fashion world both in Britain and the United States over the last half century with depth and exciting detail. As a reader I felt that I was experiencing those heady days right along with her! This is a memoir that I will read again - with relish!. Bravo Grace!