Grace Coddington's Memoir is like an ice-cream cone on a summer's day, quickly consumed but soon forgotten. My hopes for the book were greater than what was delivered. Grace is loyal to her friends, and a lot of the more interesting bits about the fashion world are never revealed. That is not to say that the book is dull, but you have to be familiar with the world of Vogue and fashion to recognize the names of the designers and photographers that come and go in Grace's life. Coddington has illustrated the book herself, and her line drawings are whimsical and likable. There are also many excellent photos scattered throughout the book.
Not long ago there was a documentary, "The September Issue" about the making of Vogue's most important issue of the year. As it turned out, Grace Coddington was a more interesting character than her boss, the famous Anna Wintour. Because she was so present in the film with her mane of springy red hair and colorful personality (at times cranky and always direct), it seemed her follow-up book was bound to be interesting. Who could have guessed that this woman, who reminds me of early paintings of the young Elizabeth I with her high forehead and frizzy curls, is the same person who posed for Vidal Sassoon's game changing 5 point haircut of the sixties.
For me, the best parts of the book are those which tell of her childhood on the Welsh island of Anglesey where I spent two happy summer holidays. Her descriptions of attending school and growing up there are entertaining and well written. Her early modeling days in London and life in Chelsea are also very well done. Coddington was not some frippery of a model. As an original, talented artist with an eye for fashion staging and styling, she soon became indispensable first to British Vogue and subsequently to its American cousin in New York City. Along the way, she had adventures and experiences, but she never goes deeply enough into them that the reader remembers them or how they shaped her world. It is clear Grace has devoted her life to fashion and excels at her job. At one point in the book she tells us that all her friends (except for her beloved cats) are in the fashion world, and so it does seem. She ends the book with a description of a fabulous party Anna Wintour gives her for her 70th birthday. All those fashion friends are there, names recognizable to any one interested the fashion world. Grace Coddington strikes the right note about herself when she says:
...I've grown to realize that life doesn't stand still and it's no good being sad about it. For me, one of the most important aspects of my work is to give people something to dream about, just as I used to dream all those years ago as a child looking at beautiful photographs. I still weave dreams, finding inspiration wherever I can and looking for romance in the real, not the digital, world.
If you are familiar with Grace Coddington's beautifully designed photos in Vogue you must agree with her sentiments. If you enjoy fashion, you will like knowing more about Coddington's world. I just wish the reader could have delved deeper into the personalities who surround her.
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