10/15/2025
Picture this: it’s a Wednesday morning. I just tore open my packet of Cymbiotika Berry B12s because I already know I’m going to need all the energy I can get. My 110-pound American Bully, Scotty, is snoring beside me on the couch, the fireplace is crackling.
This is me doing my “homework.” Blog research mode. I’ve got my iced coffee (perfected, thank you very much), lemon water on the side, and The September Issue queued up on the TV.
If you don’t know it, it’s this behind-the-scenes documentary that follows Anna Wintour in the months leading up to the September issue — which, in the fashion world, is basically the Super Bowl. The kickoff to fashion week. The issue that decides what everyone will be wearing next season.
So there I am — B12 kicking in, Scotty snoring, caffeine flowing — watching Vogue history unfold from my couch. And somewhere between the chaos of couture and the calm of Anna’s sunglasses, I notice her.
The redhead.
Always next to Anna. Cool, calm, editing, creating.
I’d never really noticed her before. Like, who is this woman? I didn’t even know Anna had a right-hand girl. But there she was — clearly the creative mind behind the visuals that defined Vogue in the 2000s.
So naturally, I had to deep-dive.
And that’s where I found Grace Coddington — the woman who gave Vogue its heartbeat.
Who Is Grace Coddington?
Before she became Vogue’s creative force, Grace was a small-town girl from Wales — the kind who got her Vogue issues months late by boat. She studied every page like scripture, learning how fashion felt before she ever learned how it worked.
At eighteen, she won a modeling contest, got the legendary Vidal Sassoon five-point haircut, and suddenly became one of the faces of the sixties.
But here’s the part I love most — and the part that feels so her:
models back then did everything themselves.
Makeup, hair, styling, even sewing. No glam team, no ring lights, no retouching. Just creativity, resourcefulness, and a winged liner done in the back of a taxi.
That independence shaped everything she became.
When a car accident ended her modeling career, she didn’t fade — she evolved. She joined British Vogue as a fashion editor and eventually became Creative Director of American Vogue beside Anna Wintour.
Together, they turned Vogue into something more than glossy pages. Anna built the empire. Grace designed the dream.
What Grace Coddington Taught Me About Taste (and a Little About Myself)
Somewhere between the chaos of couture racks and the calm of Grace’s red hair bobbing through the Vogue offices, I found myself taking notes — not on fashion, but on how to move through life with that kind of quiet power.
Here’s what watching her taught me — lessons that honestly apply way beyond the pages of a magazine:
1. Cut the fat.
Grace was famous for editing shoots before Anna even saw them. She knew when something wasn’t working and didn’t overthink it. It’s the same in life — clear out what’s weighing you down, whether it’s clutter, people, or your own self-doubt.
2. Trust your eye.
She didn’t second-guess herself. Grace knew what was timeless versus trendy, and she stood by her gut. You don’t need validation to have taste.
3. Fight for what moves you.
Her Paris couture shoot almost got cut, but she fought to keep it because it made her feel something. It’s a reminder that emotion is a compass — if something moves you, protect it.
4. Lead softly.
Grace wasn’t loud or bossy, but everyone listened when she spoke. She led with taste, not ego — proof that real confidence doesn’t have to shout.
5. Build worlds, not outfits.
She didn’t just style clothes — she created feelings. Her editorials looked like stories you wanted to step into. It’s a reminder to live with that same creative energy — to treat your life like art.
The Grace Effect
Grace Coddington changed Vogue forever — not just by making it look beautiful, but by giving it a heartbeat.
Before her, fashion editorials were about the clothes. After her, they told stories.
A girl running through Paris in couture. Lovers tangled in silk sheets. Models laughing, moving, eating, existing — not posed, but alive.
That was Grace’s gift. She didn’t just show us fashion; she made us feel it. You could practically hear the camera flash, smell the perfume, and taste the fantasy.
Grace turned fashion into feeling — she made luxury human.
How She Made Fashion Feel Alive
And honestly, I think about that a lot — when I’m styling, creating, or even just standing in front of my closet, staring at a pile of clothes that don’t make sense yet. Grace reminded me that fashion isn’t about having the newest pieces or the biggest team — it’s about seeing the beauty in what’s already there and styling it like it has a story to tell.
A few things I’ve learned from her:
✨ When in doubt, mix textures — it adds depth, even if you’re wearing all black.
✨ Confidence photographs better than any designer label.
✨ Always leave one thing a little undone — perfection is boring.
✨ And if it doesn’t make you feel something, don’t wear it.
She taught me that great taste doesn’t come from money or access — it comes from curiosity, instinct, and the guts to see things differently.
So the next time you see a Vogue editorial in motion, or Kendall Jenner on a horse frolicking through the hills of Montana, telling a story through fashion — think of Grace.
Toodles,
Jennie XX
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