With my studies behind me, I’ve taken the opportunity to read for pleasure p-r-e-t-t-y seriously, working my way through collections of personal essays, Lena Dunham’s ‘Not that kind of girl’ and topics of a more serious nature like human trafficking and the misgivings of the humanitarian aid system as it currently stands.
But on those evenings where I feel like reading something a little light, and something a little about fashion, I’ve been turning to Grace. Coddington’s memoirs are an unabashedly a candid account of her loves, her life, and all its misgivings. But most of all, it’s about Vogue.
Having worked fleetingly within the fashion industry myself, Coddington’s account of her past – and continuing – experiences seem to inject it with a little magic that I was starting to feel had been lost (on me anyway). It doesn’t take you long to realize that it’s all smoke and mirrors (I mean, isn’t everything?), yet Coddington manages to romanticize the whole process, in such a way that it’s difficult not to get drawn in. And most importantly, it’s made me fall in love with Vogue all over again.
I’ve always been meaning to read Grace and this post is the final straw telling me ‘just pick it up and read it already!’
I’m a sucker to books which romanticize and make the fashion industry appear more magical than it really is. But what is fashion but a fantasy?
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Long time, no see, Jamie-Lee! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying your adventures in Sydney. It’s such a fantastic, vibrant city (and far less windy than Welly — though Welly certainly has its charms, as you well know!). Out of curiosity, what’s the name of the book on humanitarian aid that you’re reading? This is a topic I’m just getting into, and I would appreciate any recommendations you may have in this area. I love the current blog design, by the way. It’s minimalism done just right.
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Hi Brook! I hope you’ve been well – Sydney has been great, definitely, if not a little hotter than I expected. I seriously felt like I was melting on the weekend. DO let me know if you ever have a trip planned here as it would be fantastic to catch up. This is the book I was reading:
Travesty in Haiti: A true account of Christian missions, orphanages, fraud, food aid and drug trafficking – I find it interesting as I studied Poli Sci at university and obviously it pans out a lot differently in real life than what we’re led to believe. I shudder to think how much money is wasted at ill-advised and misplaced aid packages. Ah and thank you! I’ve got a new layout planned but I’m thinking of waiting until after I’ve done all my Christmas shopping for that one!