{{Short description|Welsh former model and creative director}} {{Use British English|date=December 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Grace Coddington | image = Grace Coddington.jpg | caption = | birth_name = Pamela Rosalind Grace Coddington | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1941|4|20}} | birth_place = Anglesey, Wales | occupation = {{flatlist| *Stylist *fashion editor *photographer}} | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Michael Chow|1968|1969|reason=div.}} * {{marriage|Willie Christie|1976|1980|reason=div.}} }} | title = Creative Director for ''US Vogue'' | partner = Didier Malige (1986–present) | website = {{URL|GraceCoddington.com|GraceCoddington.com}} }}
'''Pamela Rosalind Grace Coddington''' (born 20 April 1941) is a Welsh former model and former creative director at-large of American ''Vogue'' magazine.<ref name=Grace-Memoir-2012>{{cite book|last1=Coddington|first1=Grace|last2=Roberts|first2=Michael (with)|title=Grace: A Memoir|date=2012|publisher=Random House|location=New York|isbn=978-0-307-36276-6|oclc=820839600}}</ref> Coddington is known for the creation of large, complex and dramatic photoshoots.<ref name="Amazing Grace Coddington: inside the world of US Vogue's creative director">{{cite web|last1=Wiseman|first1=Eva|title=Amazing Grace Coddington: inside the world of US Vogue's creative director|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2012/nov/25/grace-coddington-memoirs-us-vogue-interview|website=The Guardian|date=25 November 2012|access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="Holgate">{{cite web|last1=Holgate|first1=Mark|title=State of Grace|url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/fashion/features/n7581/|website=New York|date=26 August 2002 |access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref> A ''Guardian'' profile wrote that she "has produced some of fashion's most memorable imagery. Her pictures might be jolly and decadent or moody and mysterious."<ref name="Grace Coddington: the woman who made fashion art">{{cite web|last1=Marriott|first1=Hannah|title=Grace Coddington: the woman who made fashion art|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/jan/23/grace-coddington-the-woman-who-made-fashion-art|website=The Guardian|date=23 January 2016|access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref>
== Early life == Coddington was born on the island of Anglesey in Wales, to hotelier parents. Her interest in fashion began in her teens, when she would anxiously await the arrival of a current issue of ''Vogue'' magazine, which was at least three months outdated because she needed to order it on "rush-copy". Coddington lived many miles away from any designer shops, so ''Vogue'' was her only connection to the fashion world. She says that she loves "the whole sort of chic thing ("Italianate culture") [about ''Vogue''] that was so entirely out of context compared to the lifestyle that [she] led." As a teen, she was pale-skinned, convent-educated and never went anywhere on her holidays, so she just looked at ''Vogue''.<ref name=Grace-Memoir-2012 />
== Career == === Modeling === In 1959 at the age of 18, there was a ''Vogue'' model competition, and someone submitted her pictures. She ended up winning the Young Model section and was featured in the October issue in a photograph by Norman Parkinson. She then began her modelling career for ''Vogue''.<ref>These biographical details are from interviews appearing in the 2009 film, ''The September Issue'' in which Coddington is featured alongside Anna Wintour as they prepared the 2007 September issue of ''Vogue''.</ref>
In 1967 at the age of 26, she was in a car accident that left her with head injuries and a removed eyelid, which was later reconstructed through plastic surgery.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/grace-coddington | title=Grace Coddington | date=23 March 2012 }}</ref> She was seven months pregnant at the time, but lost the baby the day after the accident. Coddington stated in her autobiography that this was the only time she had been able to conceive. She characterized the incident as one of the most traumatic of her life.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Grace: A Memoir |last=Coddington |first=Grace |publisher=Random House |year=2012 |isbn=9781448155934 |pages=84}}</ref>
=== Editor === In 1969 at the age of 28, she was interviewed by British ''Vogue'''s Editor Beatrix Miller, and was employed as a Junior Editor. After 19 years as Photo Editor with British ''Vogue'',<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050124022033/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1005538,00.html "Grace Coddington"], ''Time'' magazine, 28 August 2003</ref> in 1988, she moved to New York City to work for Calvin Klein.<ref name=ny>Mark Holgate, [http://nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/fashion/features/n7581/index2.html "State of Grace"], ''New York'' magazine, 25 August 2002</ref>
In July 1988 at the age of 47, she joined Anna Wintour at American ''Vogue'', where she worked as the magazine's creative director.
In January 2016 at the age of 75, Coddington announced that she would be exiting her role as creative director at ''Vogue'' to pursue other projects. It was announced on 9 May 2016 that Coddington would be working with Tiffany & Co.<ref name="BoF:SteppingDown-2016">{{cite news|last1=Sherman|first1=Lauren|title=BoF Exclusive: Grace Coddington to Step Down as Creative Director of American Vogue|url=http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/bof-exclusive-grace-coddington-to-step-down-as-creative-director-of-american-vogue|access-date=20 January 2016|work=The Business of Fashion|date=20 January 2016}}</ref>
Later that year, Coddington's new campaign for Tiffany & Co. A/W 16, featuring Elle Fanning launched.<ref>{{cite web |title=Your First Look At Grace Coddington's Campaign For Tiffany & Co. |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/gallery/first-look-grace-coddington-tiffany-co-legendary-style/ |website=Harper’s Bazaar Singapore|date=19 July 2016 }}</ref> The campaign was sparse of product shots and traditional models. With direction from Coddington, Tiffany opted instead to feature celebrities and close up imagery of the jewelry styled on the body.
In 2018, Coddington also partnered with Louis Vuitton on a capsule collection, featuring many designs incorporating her cats.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Louis Vuitton unveils capsule collection with Grace Coddington, former creative director of Vogue US|url=https://www.lvmh.com/news-documents/news/louis-vuitton-unveils-capsule-collection-with-grace-coddington-former-creative-director-of-vogue-us/|access-date=2021-03-07|website=LVMH|date=6 November 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
==''The September Issue''== Coddington came into the public eye in 2009 with the release of ''The September Issue'', a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the making of the September 2007 issue of ''Vogue''. She plays a prominent role in the film as she is heavily involved in the styling and production of the issue. Her often-tense relationship with editor Anna Wintour is also highlighted.<ref>Bryan Moylan, [http://gawker.com/5344335/how-grace-coddington-stole-the-september-issue-from-anna-wintour "How Grace Coddington Stole ''The September Issue'' from Anna Wintour"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706220026/http://gawker.com/5344335/how-grace-coddington-stole-the-september-issue-from-anna-wintour |date=6 July 2010 }}, ''Gawker'', 24 August 2009</ref>
== Popular culture == In the season 3 of the anthology series ''American Horror Story'', American actress Frances Conroy plays the character of Myrtle Snow, an eccentric witch. The character's red hair, as well as her passion for fashion, are considered as a tribute to the ex-model Grace Coddington.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/01/myrtles-best-looks-on-american-horror-story.html|title=Myrtle Snow's Best Fashion Moments From American Horror Story: Coven|date=31 January 2014|newspaper=The Cut|access-date=17 December 2016}}</ref>
==Personal life== Coddington was married in 1968 to Michael Chow, a restaurateur. They divorced a year later.<ref>Lydia Martin, [http://www.miamiherald.com/living/v-fullstory/story/1452988.html "A quiet interview with 'Mr. Chow'"], ''The Miami Herald'', 31 January 2010</ref> She later married the photographer Willie Christie. They divorced in 1980.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.popsugar.com/fashion/Grace-Coddington-Why-She-Once-Quit-While-Working-Under-Anna-Wintour-14920115| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151109091252/http://www.popsugar.com/fashion/Grace-Coddington-Why-She-Once-Quit-While-Working-Under-Anna-Wintour-14920115| archive-date = 2015-11-09| title = Grace Coddington on Why She Once Quit While Working Under Anna Wintour {{!}} POPSUGAR Fashion}}</ref>
She raised her nephew, after the death of her sister Rosemary.<ref>"Picture Perfect," by Charles Gandee, VOGUE, October 1996, page 339.</ref>
In 1986, she moved to New York City to work for Calvin Klein.<ref name="ny" /> She has since then lived with her partner, hair stylist Didier Malige, and several cats.<ref name="The Catwalk Cats">{{cite book |author1=Grace Coddington |author2=Didier Malige |author3=Sally Singer |author4=Michael Roberts | publisher = Edition 7L | year = 2006 | isbn = 9783865213440 | title=The Catwalk Cats}}</ref>
In 2010, she announced plans to write a memoir with her collaborator Jay Fielden. The two had previously worked together on the 2002 photo book, ''Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Coddington | first = Grace | title = Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue | publisher = Steidl Publishing | year = 2002 | isbn = 9783882438185 }}</ref> The book was reissued by Phaidon in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Grace Coddington to Release Two Books With Phaidon|url = http://wwd.com/media-news/publishing/grace-coddington-books-phaidon-10168654/|website = Women's Wear Daily|access-date = 26 January 2016|first = Alexandra|last = Steigrad|date = 25 June 2015}}</ref> After Fielden took a job as the editor of ''Town & Country'', Coddington had to postpone writing the book until 2011, after she decided to write it with Michael Roberts. The book deal is reported to have been worth $US1.2 million.<ref>Elle,[http://www.elleuk.com/news/fashion-news/grace-coddington-bags-a-book-deal "Grace Coddington bags a book deal"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120907110515/http://www.elleuk.com/news/fashion-news/grace-coddington-bags-a-book-deal |date=7 September 2012 }}</ref><ref>Nick Axelrod, [http://www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/memo-pad-coddington-memoir-tv-camera-ready-3226526?module=memopad#/article/media-news/fashion-memopad/memo-pad-coddington-memoir-tv-camera-ready-3226526?full=true "Coddington Memoir... TV Camera Ready..."], ''Women's Wear Daily'', 22 August 2010</ref> Her memoir, ''Grace'', was published in November 2012.<ref name=Grace-Memoir-2012 /> In 2015, film production company A24 optioned the rights to Coddington's memoir.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://fashionista.com/2015/10/grace-coddington-biopic|title = A Grace Coddington Movie is in the Works|date = 4 October 2015|access-date = 25 January 2016|website = Fashionista|last = Mau|first = Dhani}}</ref>
== Works and publications == * {{cite book|last1=Coddington|first1=Grace (art direction and photo editing)|last2=Roberts|first2=Michael (art direction and photo editing)|editor1-last=Felden|editor1-first=Jay|title=Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue|date=2002|publisher=Edition 7L|location=Paris|isbn=978-0-714-87059-5|oclc=863491683}} – first volume of collected work * {{cite book|last1=Wintour|first1=Anna (introduction by)|last2=Talley|first2=André Leon (essay by)|last3=Galliano|first3=John (essay by)|last4=Blahnik|first4=Manolo (essay by)|last5=Roberts|first5=Michael|last6=Mangerson|first6=Sarah (art direction by)|editor1-last=Coddington|editor1-first=Grace|title=The Snippy World of New Yorker Fashion Artist Michael Roberts|date=2005|publisher=Edition 7L|location=Paris|isbn=978-3-865-21151-4|oclc=62735193}} * {{cite book|last1=Coddington|first1=Grace (drawings & dialogue)|last2=Malige|first2=Didier (photographs)|title=The Catwalk Cats|date=2006|publisher=Edition 7L|location=Paris|isbn=978-3-865-21344-0|oclc=85892968}} * {{cite book|last1=Coddington|first1=Grace|last2=Roberts|first2=Michael (with)|title=Grace: A Memoir|date=2012|publisher=Random House|location=New York|isbn=978-0-307-36276-6|oclc=820839600}} * {{cite book|last1=Coddington|first1=Grace (foreword by)|last2=Gordon|first2=Michael (foreword by)|last3=Gordon|first3=Heather (supplementary writing and editing by)|title=Vidal Sassoon: How One Man Changed the World with a Pair of Scissors|date=2012|publisher=Rizzoli|location=New York|isbn=978-0-847-83859-2|oclc=783165292}} * {{cite book|last1=Muir|first1=Robin (text by)|last2=Coddington|first2=Grace (foreword by)|editor1-last=Donovan|editor1-first=Diana|editor2-last=Hillman|editor2-first=David|title=Terence Donovan Fashion|date=2012|publisher=Art/Books|location=London|isbn=978-1-908-97002-2|oclc=805020848}} * {{cite book|last1=Coddington|first1=Grace|editor1-last=Armstrong-Jones Snowdon|editor1-first=Antony (Earl of)|title=Snowdon: A Life in View|date=2014|publisher=Rizzoli|location=New York|isbn=978-0-847-84328-2|oclc=884743826|chapter=The Lipizzaner}} * {{cite book|last1=Coddington|first1=Grace (art direction and photo editing)|last2=Roberts|first2=Michael (art direction and photo editing)|title=Grace: The American Vogue Years|date=2016|publisher=Phaidon Press Limited|location=London|isbn=978-0-714-87197-4|oclc=949911080}} – second and final volume of collected work * {{cite book|last1=Frankel|first1=Susannah|last2=Jones|first2=Stephen (with)|last3=Coddington|first3=Grace (foreword by)|title=Stephen Jones: Souvenirs|date=2016|publisher=Rizzoli|location=New York|isbn=978-0-847-84879-9|oclc=940933243}} * {{cite book|last1=Coddington|first1=Grace (art direction and photo editing)|last2=Roberts|first2=Michael (art direction and photo editing)|title=Saving Grace: My Fashion Archive 1968-2016|date=2016|publisher=Phaidon Press Limited|location=London/New York|isbn=978-0-714-87371-8|oclc=978709796}} – combined volumes one and two of collected work * {{cite book|last1=Roberts|first1=Michael|last2=Coddington|first2=Grace (foreword by)|title=GingerNutz: Memoir of a Model Orangutan|date=2017|publisher=Distributed Art Publishers|location=New York|isbn=978-0-998-70180-6|oclc=1063480497}} * {{cite book|last1=Roberts|first1=Michael|last2=Coddington|first2=Grace (foreword by)|title=GingerNutz Takes Paris: An Orangutan Conquers Fashion|date=2018|publisher=Distributed Art Publishers|location=New York|isbn=978-0-998-70183-7|oclc=1042076917}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == * {{cite AV media|last1=Cutler|first1=R. J.|last2=Wintour|first2=Anna|last3=Coddington|first3=Grace|last4=Talley|first4=André Leon|last5=Wang|first5=Vera|last6=Thakoon|last7=De la Renta|first7=Oscar|last8=Galiano|first8=John|last9=Lagerfeld|first9=Karl|date=2009|title=The September Issue|language=en|medium=Motion picture|location=Burbank, CA|publisher=Lionsgate|oclc=1014073028}}
== External links == {{Commons category|nowrap=yes}} * {{URL|GraceCoddington.com|GraceCoddington.com}} * {{Instagram|therealgracecoddington}} * ''{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20181128075333/https://m2m.tv/face-to-grace Face to Grace]}}'' at Made to Measure * {{IMDb name|nm1655628}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coddington, Grace}} Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Welsh artists Category:Welsh models Category:21st-century Welsh memoirists Category:21st-century Welsh women writers Category:Vogue (magazine) people Category:Fashion editors Category:British fashion stylists Category:People from Anglesey Category:Welsh female models Category:British women memoirists Category:Welsh magazine editors Category:British women magazine editors Category:Creative directors Category:Tiffany & Co. Category:Welsh expatriates in the United States