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 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.

Le Sigh....a life of fashion editorials!!

Would you listen to Grace: A Memoir again? Why?

Absolutely, she is so charming and her stories are crazy!

What about Grace Coddington’s performance did you like?

I love her delicate English accent!

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!

Disappointing - superficial and boring

I really liked Grace in “September Issue” and was really looking forward to this book. But was so disappointed. It is so empty, superficial and just plain boring. You learn absolutely nothing from it. I stopped after about 3 hours. Her narration is pretty bad too.

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.

Loved it

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

Amazing read..

So very much in love with her. Now I have to find something else to take my time lol #happy

Fashion and clothes

This is an excellent book written by a former model and very talented clothes designer who became an editor for Vogue In England and then the US. She reads the audible book which makes the memoir even more interesting.

Mildly Interesting

I was looking forward to this read about Grace Coddingham. It was a disappointment as the stories were superficial and lack interest. Shame though as I think Grace has been a very central figure to fashion.

Intriguing and entertaining!

You know it's a great story when eight hours or so passes by and what feels like 15 minutes! Many things to Grace for sharing her story with all of us.