Sofia Coppola Meets Marc Jacobs
mercredi 27 juillet 2011 
Our gifted editor-at-large Dara Block has a knack for shuffling through her vast fashion and photography archives and finding the most amazing treasures! Today's treat is an article from Vogue US published in February 2004, a fun interview with both Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs. Thank you so much for sharing your discovery, Dara, trop bon...
There is something quite fascinating, yet mysterious about the designer/muse relationship. There have been so many throughout the years of fashion... Betty Catroux and Loulou de la Falaise to Yves Saint Laurent, Isabella Blow to Alexander McQueen, Carine Roitfeld to Tom Ford... As you can see this is something that remains a constant in fashion. A muse can be just about anyone... a model, actress, or simply someone who just has a great sense of style, who acts as inspiration. Personally, I have always admired the designer/muse relationship between Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola. What I love most about this dynamic duo is that they both seem to understand each other on such amazing creative levels. There have been so many collaborations between the two in the past couple of years... who could forget when Sofia Coppola modeled as the face of Jacobs' signature perfume or when she was an advisor/designer for a handbag and shoe collecton for Louis Vuitton. Also, if you pay close attention to the details of Sofia Coppola's films you can definitely see a Marc Jacobs influence... just think of the style of Scarlett Johannson's character as Charlotte in Lost in Translation or Kirsten Dunst's style as Lux in The Virgin Suicides. Both characters are the epitome of the ideal Jacobs girl... very nonchalant chic mixed with an eclectic sense of style. It's obvious that both Coppola and Jacobs have inspired each other greatly in their own unique and special ways.
Just recently I was looking through my magazine archives and came across a beautiful Mario Testino photograph and a short interview between Coppola and Jacobs from the February 2004 issue of Vogue US. The magazine asked that riveting question... Where did their designer/muse relationship start? The interview was so interesting I thought it would be appropriate to share...
When did Sofia Coppola meet Marc Jacobs? When did Marc Jacobs first lay eyes on Sofia Coppola, so that both of them became fused, from a fashion standpoint, as designer and muse — or as designer and independent-filmmaker friend? And where in the world of New York was it? "We've tried to figure this out many times," says Sofia. "It was some time during the grunge era," says Marc of that historic epoch of fashion that began in 1993, when Jacobs was designing for Perry Ellis and launched his Marc Jacobs label, when he was not yet an established fashion player but was still among the New Guard — when Marc and Sofia were both very young and enjoying New York in the way that young people do. "I remember his stuff from that Perry Ellis collection, and I was just so excited," Sofia says. It was before Marc went off to Paris as artistic director of Louis Vuitton, and before Sofia began spending time in L.A., making films such as The Virgin Suicides and, most recently, Lost in Translation. She recalls an early silk dress that she loved; he recalls the credits for The Virgin Suicides, the Bic-pen scribblings that Marc loved and that so inspired his fall 2001 Marc by Marc Jacobs line. But where exactly did they meet?" "I just remember it was a group thing," Marc says. "Yes," says Sofia, a little dreamily. "It was." "I just remember a lot of roof parties," says Marc, dreamy too. "I remember the guy in the patent leather." "Yes," says Sofia. "Who was that guy?"
As you can see, the two share a long fashion history together... as collaborators, mutual admirers, and as friends. I so love that Coppola thinks of Jacobs when making a film and that Jacobs has Coppola in mind when he is putting a collection together. She truly represents his feminine ideal, which is really what a muse is for a designer. I guess you could say Sofia holds the position as Jacobs' official muse.... now, how lucky is Sofia Coppola?
Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs photographs © 2004 Condé Nast and courtesy of lhommerun.tumblr.com.
Sofia Coppola in Dara Block, Fashion, Inspiration, Marc Jacobs, Mario Testino, Vogue US
Reader Comments (8)
;-)
I would love to see Dara's magazine archive--sounds extensive!!