Amazing Grace

The original cat lady of fashion, Grace Coddington lends her charming feline art to Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2019 collection

SHE BEGAN AS A MODEL IN THE SWINGING SIXTIES AND WENT ON TO BECOME A STYLIST, EDITOR, AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR who has influenced fashion deeply over her 50-yearlong career. But among the many talents that Grace Coddington is known for, her illustrations of cats are the most endearing, best seen in her book The Catwalk Cats (2006).

Coddington’s genius can now be seen in French fashion house Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2019 collection. The artist collaborated with her long-time friend, artistic director of womenswear, Nicolas Ghesquière. Among the cat-like elements on the shoes, bags, and ready-to-wear, however, is an intruder— Ghesquière’s dog, Léon. The house’s monogram also appears in a fiery orange colour inspired by Coddington’s signature curly hair.

In a Bazaar exclusive, the fashion maverick tells us about her friendship with Ghesquière, bringing humour to fashion, and her favourite cats.

Your friendship with Nicolas Ghesquière goes a long way.

The first time I met him was in 2000 on a shoot with Steven Meisel—he really stood out. Then, when I did the Alice in Wonderland-themed shoot with Annie Leibovitz, I desperately wanted to include him. After that shoot, we became close friends. He’s bold and convincing. In this collaboration between Nicolas and I, we are personified through our animals, so to speak.