CHECKING IN WITH ANNA AND GRACE

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

One is a creative romantic. The other a pragmatic and powerful businesswoman at the very top of her game. Together they are an inspiration for how far anyone in my line of business can take their career, if they want to. I just felt the urge to share two items of new information on Grace Coddington and Anna Wintour. Anna even - shock horror - uses the word "blog."

GRACE

Good news! Grace Coddington has confirmed she is to pen an autobiography with the help of her friend and collaborator Jay Fielden who also worked with her on her giant orange tome Grace: 30 Years of fashion at Vogue.

“We’re just starting, and I think it’s going to be a really fun project,” Grace told WWD. In typically self-deprecating style she also added: “I’m hoping it’s going to be very rich in fashion history. It’s more than just about me.


ANNA

On his Opening Ceremony.us website today Humberto Leon interviews Anna Wintour about Fashions Night Out. Here are my favourite bits of the interview.

Humberto Leon: "We were surprised to find ourselves geeking out with Anna on 'Like a Prayer'-era Madonna, her iPad, lost Soho oculists, and what prompted her to put a pair of jeans on the cover of Vogue in 1988. Of course, the order of the day was Fashion's Night Out, the event she developed last year to jumpstart global retail.

Humberto: What's new for Fashion's Night Out (FNO) this year?
Anna Wintour: This year we have a CBS documentary on the making of the event, and we’re staging the largest public fashion show in New York’s history with some of the world’s top models. It will be a carnival-style celebration like last year, only bigger and better, with more cities and retailers participating.

Traditionally, shows are industry events, so this is unique as we’re staging it for the consumer. Not only will shoppers preview the best trends for fall on many of the world’s most recognized models, but they will also have the opportunity to purchase those trends on Fashion’s Night Out. No matter their style or budget, anyone can translate the latest trends to suit their tastes and wardrobe.

HL: What is a change you've seen in the fashion industry since the first FNO?
AW: I believe consumer confidence is being restored. People are out there shopping again without the level of guilt or concern of the previous year. Also, it’s built community amongst designers and retailers, both competitors and otherwise, and brought together all aspects of American culture and arts, which is an exciting aspect in and of itself. It’s a time of the year when fashion cities around the world are united in a cause, which is wonderful.

HL: Do you read fashion blogs, and if so, which ones are your favorites?
AW: Yes, of course. We’ve featured many bloggers in Vogue. Hanneli Mustaparta and Rachel Chandler are regular contributors to Vogue.com.

HL: How do you think fashion blogs have affected magazine content?
AW: Like any evolution in the industry, they force you to become better at what you do. Vogue’s in-depth articles and beautiful fashion stories, along with coverage of the arts within a fashion context, is not something that exists in the same way on blogs. They force us to dig deeper for stories, but we’re not competitors; we serve different markets.

http://www.industriemagazine.com/
http://www.openingceremony.us/
http://www.wwd.com/
http://www.vogue.com/