Grace Coddington On How Fashion Has Changed and ‘The September Issue’

Grace Coddington has been working in fashion for longer than most of us have been alive. She started working as a junior editor at British Vogue back in 1968 and before that, she was modeling. Grace served as the Creative Director at American Vogue for nearly three decades and since stepping back from that role, has continued to work on shoots across many major publications.

Grace, now in her late eighties, joined Chloe in the studio for a conversation about her latest work Grace: Now, a massive yellow art book that compiles her favorite fashion shoots from the last decade. The spreads come from thirteen photographers, many of whom are Vogue regulars including Rafael Pavarotti, Annie Leibovitz, and Steven Meisel. In order to narrow down her selection, she printed out hundreds of images, laid them out on boards, and made a dummy book a la Vogue way: “I learned from the best.” When asked if her favorite shoots regularly fluctuate, Grace replied “One always loves the last one one did.”

In the opening pages of the book, there is a handwritten tribute to her late friend, the fashion journalist Michael Roberts, noting this is her first major project without him in her career. “Michael was someone who could complete my sentences,” she told Chloe, “I'd known him since the early '70s, so he knew my life very well. He could write and he was a visual person too. I wanted to do it in my handwriting because I felt that I was talking to him. I adored him.”

Reflecting on the 2009 ‘The September Issue’ documentary, she thinks of it now as a distinct shift in fashion and her life. “Fashion has changed a lot since then,” she explained, “Fashion shows were getting bigger and bigger and what you saw was grander and grander. Clothes got much bigger.” Everything except the magazines Chloe offered. “I don't feel it's about more anymore. It seems obscene to be excessive, with all the things happening in the world.”

Grace has often referenced Beatrix Miller’s description of creating narratives in fashion photography as “enhanced reality”. Chloe observed that unlike her previous work, this book of shoots feels more like reportage than fantasy. “I love that you noticed that because that was my intention,” Grace said, noting that shift was intentional, “It’s interesting to see the about turn from complete fantasy like Alice in Wonderland and all those stories I did with Annie. I’m not interested in the [clothes] you can’t actually wear. Maybe we’re not about fantasy anymore, sadly. Life is very real at the moment.”

Her pivot away from the fantastical doesn’t mean she isn’t still inspired. Still loves to go extreme on big hair. She’s going to fewer shows these days, but she still keeps up with the designers—especially Prada, who she said hits the button every time.

The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices