Grace: A Memoir

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

I adore fashion magazines

And Grace Coddington generously tells about her life and her work at British Vogue and American Vogue. I enjoyed hearing the author read her own work.

A glimpse into the world of fashion

I didn't know who Grace Coddington was before ordering this book. She narrates her own story, so there is a sense of verisimilitude that could not be achieved by a stand-in. However, her voice becomes tiresome because of its sharp singsong quality, and another reader might have been better.

Amazing Grace

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story of a survivor. Grace's story is engaging while moving at a swift pace. Grace's reading of the text makes it all more captivating; from depictions of London, Paris, and New York through the years to actual names of actual people.

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.