Grace Coddington
Former creative director of American Vogue
Grace Coddington is a Welsh born former model and fashion editor who was creative director of American Vogue from 1988 until stepping down in January 2016. Her elaborate, story driven shoots made her one of the most influential image makers in fashion publishing.
| Role | Creative director, American Vogue (1988 to 2016) |
|---|---|
| Previously | Editor at British Vogue from 1969 |
| Born | 1941, Anglesey, Wales |
| Memoir | Grace (2012) |
| Film | The September Issue (2009) |
Who is Grace Coddington?
Grace Coddington is a British fashion editor born in Anglesey, Wales, in 1941. After a career as a model she became one of the defining stylists of magazine photography, known for romantic, cinematic stories that turned fashion editorials into narrative images.
Career
Coddington began modelling after winning a young model competition in 1959. In 1969 she moved behind the camera as a junior editor at British Vogue under Beatrix Miller and spent around 19 years at the magazine. In 1987 she left to work for Calvin Klein in New York.
In July 1988 she joined American Vogue as creative director, alongside the newly appointed editor in chief Anna Wintour. She held the role for almost three decades and stepped down in January 2016 to pursue independent projects.
Influence on the fashion business
Coddington's editorials helped set the visual language of luxury fashion for a generation. Her influence includes:
- Long running collaborations with leading fashion photographers
- Story led editorials that framed clothes within fantasy and narrative
- Shaping how designers' collections were presented to Vogue's global audience
- Mentoring younger stylists and editors
She became widely known outside the industry through the 2009 documentary The September Issue, which followed the making of Vogue's largest issue and showed her creative negotiations with Wintour. In 2012 she published the memoir Grace, which recounts her path from modelling at the end of the 1950s to the senior ranks of the world's most influential fashion magazine. The book and the film turned a behind the scenes stylist into a public figure.
After leaving her full time Vogue role she worked with brands directly. In 2018 Louis Vuitton launched a capsule collection with her featuring illustrations of her cats, and she has also worked with Tiffany & Co. and other luxury houses.
Why it matters
Coddington's career shows the commercial power of editorial imagery in fashion. Her photo stories gave designers' collections cultural meaning and helped sell the idea of luxury to readers worldwide. Her move into direct collaborations with brands after 2016 also mirrors a wider shift in which editors and stylists work for houses directly rather than only through magazines.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Grace Coddington?
Grace Coddington is a Welsh born former model and fashion editor. She was creative director of American Vogue from 1988 to 2016 after almost two decades at British Vogue.
What is Grace Coddington known for?
She is known for romantic, narrative fashion photo stories and for her role in the 2009 documentary The September Issue. She later collaborated with brands such as Louis Vuitton.