Grace Coddington

I love Grace Coddington.  She has been in fashion for more than 30 years, starting out as model.  She then went on to be a creative director for British Vogue for 19 years then moving to US Vogue with Anna Wintour in 1988 up to the present.

At 62, Coddington is easily the world's most influential fashion editor, famous for transforming photographic spreads into narratives, a signature she pioneered in the 1970s at British Vogue. Although other magazines have since adopted this style, she pulls it off with a witty, modern romanticism that makes readers feel they are flipping through a picture book instead of just looking at shots of models in pretty clothing. "I like fairy tales, and I like dreaming. I try to weave the reality into the dream," she says. "When readers pick up Vogue, I want them to smile. Everything should be a little tongue in cheek, a little dare-to-go-there."

Spotting trends before they're trendy and molding them into a consistent vision account for only a small fraction of Coddington's success. The rest is due to persistence. Legendary fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, who has traveled across the globe with Coddington, says they get together before every shoot to scout out locations. "There are a lot of hit-and-run editors, but Grace follows an idea from its conception to it actually going to print. The job isn't over until she has seen all the pictures and has annoyed the art department," he says. When she presents an idea to Vogue editor Anna Wintour, she fights for it. "[Anna and I] trust each other," Coddington says. "We argue like crazy, but I think she respects me, and I certainly respect her."

Their biggest point of contention is putting celebrities on the pages of the magazine. "There are no models on covers anymore. They're all actors because they're what sells," says Coddington. "An actor often dictates what you're going to get. I find that annoying. And I'm incredibly shy, so they scare the pants off me. But I feel perfectly comfortable with the models. They're like my kids."

Coddington herself was a model in 1960s London. She was raised in Anglesey, a remote Welsh island, where her parents ran a hotel. At 18, she left home for London, where she won a Vogue model contest. After a few years of modeling, she began working for British Vogue, where she introduced her narrative spreads, more color and a broader sense of style.

Thank god for grace.  Otherwise, I’d despise American Vogue’s commercial sell out to the bone.  To me, she represents the last ounce of artistic integrity in the magazine.  I have a belief that Anna just calls the shots, while Grace, like Carine, is the woman behind the artistry of the magazine.

I love how she gives me that Twiggy/Vivienne Westwood vibe!

(Source)

 
With Marc Jacobs and David Sims. She seems to bring out the beauty in most people. Look at how cute those two smiling boys are!

From iD March 2009.