Welsh-born Grace Coddington spent many of her years as creative director of American Vogue under the radar, until 2009 documentary The September Issue exposed the enchanting redhead's quiet defiance of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Coddington's obsession with fashion began at an early age – she gobbled up outdated issues of Vogue as soon as they arrived at her Anglesey, Wales home (often three months after their publication). After winning her age bracket in a Vogue-sponsored modeling contest at age 17, Coddington enrolled in Cherry Marshall's modeling school and began modeling full-time. Her car accident at age 26 put an end to that aspect of her career, scarring her face and requiring a good deal of plastic surgery to repair. She soon after began working for British Vogue as a junior editor, where she moved up the ranks over the course of the next 18 years before resigning in 1986 (coincidentally, the same year Anna Wintour became editor-in-chief of the magazine). Coddington moved to New York to work as the design director for Calvin Klein, but left the position a year later to again work with Anna Wintour, this time for American Vogue, where she has worked as the magazine's creative director since 1988.

She celebrated her 70th birthday in 2011 and is expected to release her memoir in November of 2012. She lives with hair stylist Didier Malige. [Image via AP]