Grace Coddington is creative director at US Vogue. Coddington works alongside Anna Wintour, and has received unprecedented praise from an abundance of fans since the release of the documentary The September Issue, which portrayed her as the unsung heroine of the publication.
Coddington launched her career as a model at the age of 18. Born on a remote island off Wales, Coddington's success soared instantly, until a horrific car accident forced her to endure two years of reconstructive surgery. Undeterred, she re-launched her career, becoming one of the most successful models of the Sixties, before inspiring the fashion industry from behind the lens as fashion editor at British Vogue. She moved to New York in 1987 and - now in her Seventies - is one of the most respected figures in the fashion industry, renowned for her love of fashion as an art, and the flawless creation of narratives within her photographs.
• Born on the Welsh island of Anglesey in 1941, Coddington's rural upbringing posed a stark contrast to the years that followed. "I ordered Vogue every month from the local store," she reminisced to US Vogue. "Sometimes it arrived, and sometimes it didn't. For me, the magazine represented an amazing fantasy world of sophistication and grown-ups. I dreamt of getting away from the tiny place I was raised." At the age of 18, in 1959, she left her birthplace for London, enrolling in Cherry Marshal's Modelling School.
• In April of the same year, Coddington entered British Vogue's Young Model Competition, which was to be the making of her career. Taking first prize, Vogue deemed her to be "a radiant girl, with sparkling looks." It was here that she met the eminent fashion photographer Norman Parkinson, who became a lifelong friend.
• Just two years later in 1961, Coddington's soaring modelling career almost came to a tragic end, as she lost an eyelid in a horrific car accident. After enduring two years of reconstructive surgery, Coddington was at last able to re-launch her career, just as the fashion revolutions of the decade were in full swing.
• True to her determination and self-will, Coddington became one of the most prominent models of the Sixties alongside the likes of Twiggy, Celia Hammond and Jean Shrimpton. Icons of the time - including photographer David Bailey, designer Mary Quant and legendary hairdresser Vidal Sassoon - were enthralled by her bone structure, fiery crimson hair and incredible sense of self. "She was a huge celebrity in that world, an incredible beauty," Anna Wintour remembers. "I was in awe of her."
• Yet, always looking forward, in 1968 Coddington felt compelled to move on to the next chapter of her career, joining the ranks of British Vogue as junior fashion editor, under editor-in-chief Beatrix Miller. Collaborating extensively with renowned photographers - from Barry Lategan and Arthur Elgort to her mentor Norman Parkinson - Coddington began to create the enthralling narrative fashion images that she became renowned for. Her work proved to be highly artistic and innovative, as she strived for perfection and advanced in leaps of imagination.
• In 1969, she married entrepreneurial restaurant owner Michael Chow in a private ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office, but the couple divorced six months later.
• Tragedy struck Coddington's life once more in 1973, when her sister Rosemary's life came to an untimely end, leaving behind her seven-year-old son Tristan. Coddington raised her nephew, but despite her efforts was refused permission by Welsh authorities to formally adopt him.
• During the same year, Coddington met internationally renowned photographer Willie Christie at Vogue. She began to mentor him, and the pair married in 1976. Yet in 1980, after four years living and working together, they separated.
• Coddington continued to work for British Vogue until the December of 1986, when she was offered the position of design director of Calvin Klein in New York. "Tristan had grown up and was independent, and I was free to do whatever I wanted," she recalled to US Vogue's Mark Holgate. "Suddenly I had this offer from Calvin. And I thought, well, I can stay at British Vogue for another 20 years, or I can change and see where this takes me."
• In 1987, Coddington left London for New York, living with her partner, top hairstylist Didier Malige. Yet, missing the creative energy of her previous position, she returned to work for Vogue - this time the US edition - in 1988, the very same day as Anna Wintour was appointed editor-in chief. "I was over the moon when she came to work for the magazine," said Wintour. "Her vision was and is very close to mine."
• In 1995, Coddington became the creative director of US Vogue, a position she still holds today. Working closely with Wintour, the two strong-willed forces in fashion share a fascinating relationship. "I infuriate her, she infuriates me, and we're both a bit stubborn, but we're always respectful," Coddington says. "I think she's an amazing editor."
• The September Issue, a fashion documentary released in 2009, publicly revealed the complicated nature of Coddington and Wintor's rapport. At first, Coddington had refused to be a part of the film. However, over time, her fiery creativity and often mischievous, and always determined, personality saw her emerge as the unsung heroine of Vogue. "She is charming, delightful, passionate and so committed to celebrating beauty and her revolutionary notion that clothes, models and photographers could tell stories and not just be objects," said RJ Cutler, creator of The September Issue. "Every billboard, fashion magazine spread, every advertisement we see today has been influenced by Grace Coddington."
• In September 2011, Willie Christie revealed a Limited Edition Collection of his portraits of Coddington. The exhibition featured never-before-seen photographs from the early Seventies and throughout their marriage, which had thankfully been unearthed by Christie following 35 years lying dormant in storage.
• Coddington has also written her eagerly anticipated memoirs, which have been sold to publishers Random House earlier this year for a seven figure sum.
• Coddington remains the creative heart of US Vogue, and for the last 20 years has lived in New York with her partner Didier Malige, and their four beloved Chartreux cats.
