Sofia Coppola: The Little Black Jacket

Sofia Coppola: The Little Black Jacket
By Gala

The Little Back Jacket è, oramai, alla sua penultima tappa. Quella di Milano, alla Rotonda della Besana, ancora per pochi giorni, precede quella conclusiva di Dubai. Una celebrazione fotografica  che, partendo da Tokyo, ha fatto il giro del mondo per oltre un anno. In mostra, un’impressionante numero di ritratti in bianco e nero, di volti celebri catturati dall’obiettivo di Karl Lagerfeld. Dei manichini viventi in posa, uno dopo l’altro.

In occasione della pubblicazione del libro fotografico omonimo, al gruppo iniziale si sono aggiunti, poi, degli altri, sotto l’esclusiva regia di Carine Roitfeld, come stylist d’eccezione. Oltre un centinaio, tutti in coro, con l’unico piacevole obiettivo di consacrare la riedizione, in chiave “total black”, di una delle creazioni simbolo della maison Chanel: la “Little Chanel Jacket” di Coco, emblematico accessorio quotidiano della celebre sarta.

Tra i divi e le divine del mondo dell’arte, della moda, della musica e del cinema, ognuno con la propria personale interpretazione corporea di questa giacca dall’à plomb ineguagliabile, c’è anche Sofia Coppola, come vi abbiamo già annunciato, lo scorso anno, con un breve flash fotografico della sua immagine, al momento del lancio della campagna pubblicitaria del tour mondiale di quest’insolita mostra fotografica itinerante.

Sofia indossa la LBJ scegliendo di rimanere fedele a sé stessa, con il suo modo accuratamente semplice e sereno, ma con un make-up sofisticato che la valorizza notevolmente. La sua immagine invia un messaggio stilistico facile da interpretare e, per questo, particolarmente piacevole da imitare nella quotidianità. E’ in jeans, ma non è l’unica, e “Madamoiselle” avrebbe sicuramente storto il naso, dato che non amava la “tela di Genova”. Ma lei è quella, rispetto alle altre, che dà un’idea concretamente desiderabile della piccola giacca.

Ricorda molto l’immediatezza di stile di una vecchia pubblicità Chanel con Daria Werbowy, che ebbe molto successo. Quella volontà di arricchire con un tocco Haute Couture una mise altrimenti casual e, viceversa, la dimostrazione della versatilità e praticità di un capo sartoriale classico e dinamico al tempo stesso. Con Sofia si rilancia la figura sempre à la page della “Parisienne”: piedi nudi, jeans stretti, ma di buon gusto, semplici, sartoriali, senza fronzoli, pochi accessori, ma importanti e “senza tempo”, e come sottogiacca una mariniére, un’altro simbolo del guardaroba firmato Chanel.

Si continua a riproporre l’idea di esaltare dei capi di uso quotidiano o di facile reperibilità per molte (Acne Jeans e t-shirt Petit Bateau), ad un capo pregiato e importante, come una bella giacca sartoriale, su misura, e a pochi accessori studiati, come un bel bauletto in pelle e dei bangles al polso. Tutte cose che esaltano i primi e permettono ai secondi di non essere presi troppo sul serio. In questo caso si sta parlando, però, di pezzi storici, con una adeguata lista d’attesa, come vuole una splendida giacca di Chanel, per quanto piccola sia. Con cifre anche a cinque zeri, come vuole un gioiello altrettanto storico, dal design inconfondibile, strati  e strati di smalto bianco con una croce di Malta, compagno inseparabile dei polsi di Coco Chanel, come lo è il celebre Cuffs Bracelet di Fulco di Verdura. Per finire, la borsa: Sofia ha avuto la fortuna di disegnarsela da sola, con la complicità di Louis Vuitton. Tutto questo fa di lei, e nel suo caso con merito, una sofisticata “star” con l’attitudine per la normalità circondata da belle cose. Tutte le altre saranno una pallida imitazione.

Sofia Coppola: The Little Black Jacket
By Gala

The Little Black Jacket exhibit is now at its penultimate stage. That of Milan, at the Rotonda della Besana, for a few days, before the final show in Dubai. A photographic celebration that, starting from Tokyo, has travelled around the world for over a year. On display, an impressive number of black and white portraits of famous faces captured by the lens of Karl Lagerfeld. Living mannequins in pose, one after the other.

On the occasion of the publication of the photographic namesake book, to the initial group were added others, under the sole direction of Carine Roitfeld, a stylist of exception. Over a hundred all together with the aim to consecrate the reissue in "total black," a symbol of the creations of the house of Chanel: the "Little Chanel Jacket" by Coco, the emblematic everyday accessory of the famous seamstress.

Among the stars and the divine of the worlds of art, fashion, music, and cinema, each with their own personal physical interpretation of this jacket with peerless aplomb, appears Sofia Coppola, as we announced last year with a short photographic flash of her image, at the moment of the launch of the advertising campaign of the world tour of this unusual traveling photographic exhibition.

Sofia wears the little black jacket, choosing to remain true to her carefully simple and serene style, but with a sophisticated make-up that enhances her significantly. Her image sends a stylistic message that is easy to interpret and, therefore, particularly pleasant to imitate in everyday life. She wears jeans, but she is not the only one, and "Mademoiselle" would certainly have turned her nose up, since she did not like the "canvas of Genoa." But she is the one, with all due respect to the others, that presents an idea of the little black jacket that is actually desirable.

Sofia recalls very much the immediacy of an old Chanel advertisement with Daria Werbowy, which was very successful. That desire to enrich a casual outfit with a touch of haute couture and, vice versa, the demonstration of the versatility and practicality of a classically tailored garment, while dynamic at the same time. With Sofia, it raises the figure always to the ideal of the "Parisienne": bare feet, tight jeans, but tasteful, simple, tailored, without frills, only a few accessories, but important and "timeless," a mariniére and a jacket, another symbol of the wardrobe signed Chanel.

Sofia continues to present the idea to enhance the daily garments and those readily available to many (such as Acne jeans and Petit Bateau tees) with a valuable and important item, such as a beautifully tailored jacket, customized, and a few studied accessories, such as a beautiful leather handbag and some bangles on the wrist. All things that enhance the first and permit the second not to be taken too seriously. In this case we are talking about, however, historical pieces, with an ample waiting list, as required by a beautiful Chanel jacket, however small. With figures also in the six digits, as required by an equally historic jewel, with a unique design, layers and layers of white enamel with a Malta cross, the inseparable companion of the wrists of Coco Chanel, as are the famous cuffs by Fulco di Verdura. Finally, the bag: Sofia has had the good fortune to design it herself, with the complicity of Louis Vuitton. All this makes her, and in her case with merit, a sophisticated "star" with an aptitude for normality surrounded by beautiful things. All the others will be a pale imitation.

Translation from Italian to English by Francesca Berti.

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Sofia Coppola in The Little Black Jacket photograph by Karl Lagerfeld © 2012 Chanel. All Rights Reserved.

At Home With Sofia Coppola: Get The Look

Special thanks to the lovely Fallon Elizabeth for today's guest post, "At Home with Sofia Coppola: Get the Look," which she kindly permitted me to reprint from her blog, A Lovely Being. I love especially that she recommends that one decorate one's wall by framing a page from the book by Elizabeth Peyton alongside a New Order Power, Corruption & Lies album cover, c'est parfait... Be sure to visit Fallon at A Lovely Being for much more loveliness...

At Home with Sofia Coppola: Get the Look
By Fallon Elizabeth

I am by no means a graphic designer, but I fell so in love with SC’s apartment that I had to create une petite "get the look" roundup. Here are a few items that, in my humble opinion, capture the essence of her space...

One: Start with a beautiful, oversized sofa in a shade of pale blue. Sofia’s is by George Smith, but the one pictured here is a George Sherlock (my dream sofa maker).

Two: Simply drown yourself in pink peonies. Real ones are lovely, but the Diane James variety never dies :).

Three: Get thee an Elizabeth Peyton print. I didn’t find any great ones available for online purchase, so I would suggest picking up this book and framing one of it's pages. Who’s going to know?

Four: Line your lingerie drawer with paper scented in Diptyque’s Olène Perfume (Sofia’s favorite).

Five: Light up a big... candle! A.P.C.’s are different and delicious.

Six: Extend the life of your tables with Sugar Paper's gold polka dot coasters. They're very Coppola-esque, don't you think?

Seven: According to the New York Times, SC purchases stationary at Paris' Benneton Graveur Stationery. I would imagine that the above correspondence card and envelope is one of their designs.

Eight: This pretty ginger jar lamp by Lamps Plus reminds me of the one in SC’s living room. Whether your style is traditional or minimalist, you truly can't go wrong with ginger jar anything.

Nine: Hang a vintage blonde fur coat on the back of a door. Instant luxury.

Ten: Paint your walls a warm white, like Farrow & Ball’s Pointing.

Eleven: Track down a Power, Corruption & Lies record on eBay or at a local record store. Frame it.

Twelve: Wear black ballet flats around the house... Repettos are super chic.

Thirteen: Use an address book. At one point, Sofia used this one from Smython but any brand will do!

And there you have it! For those of you who read, thanks for indulging me :)

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Sofia Coppola Get the Look collage courtesy of alovelybeing.com. New Order image courtesy of Amazon.com

Sofia Coppola: Somewhere And Beyond

Sofia Coppola: Somewhere And Beyond
By Dara Block

Recently I was looking back at my W magazine archives and stumbled upon a behind-the-scenes look at Sofia Coppola's critically acclaimed film Somewhere, from the December 2010 issue. The article not only features on-set photos with analysis, but a very in-depth interview between Sofia Coppola and journalist Lynn Hirschberg.

Before I share this intriguing article, I think it's important to go into detail about Somewhere and not just the plot, but all the hidden beauty and significance behind this minimal and melancholic gem of a film... let's take a look!

For those of you who have not seen it, the film follows Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), a famous actor, as he recuperates from a broken arm at the iconic Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood, California. While achieving fame, money, and personal success, he finds himself going through an existential life crisis... feeling very little emotion throughout his everyday life. When his ex-wife experiences an unexplained breakdown and disappears, she leaves Cleo (Elle Fanning), their 11-year-old daughter, in his care. As the two spend more quality time together, Johnny learns to grow as a human being and to find more meaning in his life. 

Yes, it's not the most plot driven movie, as with most Sofia Coppola films, but I appreciate how the film explores so many hidden themes. Unlike most Hollywood movies, we get to see a different side of Los Angeles — not the Entourage or TMZ version, but a lonelier and quieter side, which is rarely ever depicted on-screen. It's quite fascinating to see Sofia Coppola portray this view... it's honest, funny, and a bit sad, at times. I also can't help but admire the way she explores the father-daughter relationship. Love the way Johnny and Cleo bond over time and how it is all directed so stylishly at the Chateau Marmont. It's truly about these two connecting in such a disconnecting world... and in this case Los Angeles, or perhaps, better yet, Lost Angeles.

I think what I appreciate most about Sofia Coppola's Somewhere is how it states so much with saying so little. There is not much memorable dialogue, but I love how rich the film is in terms of visual style... I especially love the subtle Helmut Newton references throughout the film. With all that said, let's take a look at Sofia Coppola's W magazine interview and all her lovely annotated behind-the-scenes notes.

"Somewhere is the first movie I've directed since having a kid. I have pictures of me on my dad's lap on the set of The Godfather II and my daughter Romy visited the set one day. We were shooting Stephen and Elle having burgers in the lobby. Romy said 'When Mama says action we have to be quiet.'"

"During the Lost in Translation promo, I stayed at the Chateau Marmont for two weeks. Colin Farrell was staying there then, and I thought of him and a bunch of actors I've met when writing the character of Johnny Marco. Later in the film, when Johnny's drifting back to his movie-star-around-the-hotel life."

"There's a Bruce Weber photo of Matt Dillon in bed that inspired Johnny Marco's style. For Somewhere I was thinking about photos by Helmut Newton. Helmut lived at the Chateau Marmont in the winter in Room 49. Stephen's character lives in the same room, a floor above."

"Stephen took his job seriously, practicing Guitar Hero for hours — I think they're playing a song by the Police here. Stephen stayed in Room 69 during the shoot. He was in character the whole time."

"I met a ton of young actresses for the role of Cleo. Elle was the first girl we met, we kept comparing all the other girls to her. In this scene, she's being dropped off at camp in Nevada. I didn't give her much direction because she's so natural."

"I wrote Somewhere in Paris," Sofia Coppola told me over lunch in New York. "It was right after my daughter Romy was born and I was a little homesick for California." Coppola started thinking about the Chateau Marmont, the legendary hotel in Hollywood, which she had frequented in the early Nineties. "I wanted to write something minimal and moody," she said. "I love L.A. movies like Shampoo from the Seventies and American Gigolo from the Eighties. I thought we needed an L.A. movie for this time."

Somewhere, which won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival in September and will be in theaters December 22, seems to exist in its own particular universe. As she did in Lost in Translation, Coppola deftly strikes a balance between engagement and dislocation: Johnny and Cleo have a deep bond but they're also strangers. Somewhere is profoundly intimate — its sense of interior life aided by the fact that so much of the film is set in hotel rooms. "Hotels always give you a sense of possibility," explained Coppola. "They take you out of your life."

It is always a treat to get a glimpse inside Sofia Coppola's thought process while she is making a film. I feel like with these words and images it almost feels like you are taking a road trip. It really is such an ethereal and meditative look at a certain state of mind in a particular time and place. I so love the way W magazine portrayed Sofia Coppola's on-set vision. On that note, if you have not seen the film, I highly recommend it. Personally, I think it is a film that is meant to be viewed more than once and I truly think it is such a beautiful study on loneliness... all done with that Sofia subdued visual style we all know and love!

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Sofia Coppola in W images © 2010 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Sofia Coppola: The Bling Ring Trailer

The official trailer for Sofia Coppola's forthcoming film The Bling Ring has just been released. Starring Emma Watson, Leslie Mann, Taissa Farmiga, and Gavin Rossdale, the movie is based on actual events surrounding the burglary of several celebrities in the Los Angeles area. It looks like a departure from Sofia's typical films, fast paced and bursting with teen energy, although strangely I am reminded of both Marie Antoinette and Somewhere in this sequence lasting a mere sixty seconds and set to the sound of Sleigh Bells' "Crown on the Ground."

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The Bling Ring film stills courtesy of youtube.com

Vogue Paris Translation: Elizabeth Peyton

Elizabeth Peyton, one of the favorite artists of Sofia Coppola, appeared in the February issue of Vogue Paris. Special thanks to Kamila Brudzynska for collaborating with me to translate the article from French to English for all of you to enjoy. What do you think, do you count yourself among the admirers of the art of Elizabeth Peyton?

On l'a comparée à Gainsborough, le peintre anglais du XVIIIe siècle. Au Français Ingres, le fabuliste néo-classique du XIXe siècle. À David Hockney, le dandy britannique du XXe siècle. Elizabeth Peyton, peintre new-yorkaise contemporaine, a pourtant un style unique : celui d'une groupie à l'amour inconditionnel. Ses sujets flirtent avec le monde des magazines people, mais elle se défend d'être une portraitiste mondaine. Elle l'a souvent dit : elle ne peint bien que ceux qu'elle admire et refuse les commandes. Il peut s'agir d'artistes de légende comme Georgia O'Keefe, de têtes couronnées comme le prince Harry, d'amis au look d'hipsters, ou de toutes les stars grunge et Brit pop de sa jeunesse : Liam et Noel Gallagher, Jarvis Cocker, Kurt Cobain, Jake Chapman... Sa touche délicate les transforme en elfes et éphèbes, dans leur tenue du jour, comme surpris au réveil. Aussi fantomatiques que la fumée de leurs cigarettes, pelotonnés dans un sofa ou penchés sur une guitare, ils semblent suspendus dans des instants de solitude intenses et photogéniques. Tous se ressemblent : pâles et filiformes, des mains disproportionnées, nez effilés, lèvres fines, yeux rêveurs. Elizabeth Peyton les peint d'après des photos découpées dans Rolling Stone, des pochettes de vinyles ou des photos de films, avec des coloris chatoyants de saphir, rubis ou émeraude.

Depuis quand la beauté était-elle un problème en art ?  C'est la question que sa deuxième exposition avait jetée à la face des critiques, en 1993, à sa sortie de la New York School of Visual Arts. La jeune diplômée, originaire du Connecticut — ses parents y ont une fabrique de bougies — l'avait installée avec son complice galeriste Gavin Brown dans le mythique hôtel Chelsea. Il fallait demander la clé de la chambre 828 pour aller rendre visite aux portraits de Napoléon, Marie-Antoinette et de la reine Elizabeth II. Roberta Smith, l'influente critique du New York Times, avait donné sa bénédiction. Cette peinture sans cynisme rompait radicalement avec l'abstraction conceptuelle et l'ironie démesurée à la Jeff Koons. Elle ouvrait l'ère d'un nouveau romantisme, épris d'androgynie et de jeunesse, préfiguration des noces de la mode et du rock célébrées aujourd'hui par un Hedi Slimane. Une décennie plus tard, le John Lennon tout aussi fragile d'Elizabeth Peyton allait chiffrer 600000 € en salle de ventes.

La rétrospective de 2009, ‹‹Live Forever›› au New Museum de New York, a été une occasion rare de scruter les yeux dans les yeux ces miniatures vibrantes de lumière, accrochées serrées. La centaine d'images incluait des portraits de son ami l'artiste Matthew Barney, de son ex-mari, l'artiste Rirkrit Tiravanija, de Michelle et Sasha Obama à la convention démocratique de 2008. ‹‹Pas de celebrities, mais des personnes qui font des choses››, expliquait-elle encore à la presse. L'artiste a rejoint l'écurie prestigieuse de Gagosian, devenue à son tour une idole pour les collectionneurs du monde entier. Ces jour-ci, cette gauchère qui voit le monde en 2D (un défaut congénital) expérimente : ‹‹Après la rétrospective, j'avais envie de faire des natures mortes. Je voulais m'exprimer sans faire de vrais "portraits". Ça m'a conduite à quelques images d'opéra.›› Entre zones d'ombre et tracés perçants, l'essence de ces nouveaux modèles wagnériens surgit entre deux huiles sur aluminium verni dédiées à Bowie ou son chien Felix. Derrière les ressemblances, une même aura de grandeur.

She has been compared to Gainsborough, an English painter from the 18th century. To the Frenchman Ingres, a neo-classical fabulist of the 19th century. To David Hockney, the British dandy of the 20th century. Elizabeth Peyton, a contemporary painter living in New York, however, has a unique style: that of a groupie of unconditional love. Her subjects flirt with the world of celebrity magazines, but she denies being a fashionable portraitist. She often says that she paints only those whom she admires and refuses orders. This may be legendary artists like Georgia O'Keefe, crowned heads such as Prince Harry, friends with the look of hipsters, or all of the grunge and Brit pop stars of her youth:  Liam and Noel Gallagher, Jarvis Cocker, Kurt Cobain, Jake Chapman… Her delicate touch transforms them into elves and ephebes in their casual clothes, as if caught waking up. As ghostly as the smoke of their cigarettes, huddled on a sofa or leaning on a guitar, they seem suspended in moments of intense and photogenic solitude. All of them are similar: pale and wiry, their hands are disproportionate, noses sharp, lips thin, eyes dreamy. Elizabeth Peyton paints from photos torn from Rolling Stone, from the sleeves of vinyl records, or from film stills, with shimmering colors of sapphire, ruby, or emerald.

Since when has beauty become the problem in art? This question was posed to critics by her second exhibition, when in 1993 she left the New York School of Visual Arts. The young graduate, originally from Connecticut — her parents own a candle factory — was installed in the mythical Chelsea Hotel with her accomplice, gallerist Gavin Brown. It was necessary to ask for the key to room 828 to go visit the portraits of Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and Queen Elizabeth II. Roberta Smith, the influential critic of The New York Times, gave her blessing. This painting without cynicism broke radically with the conceptual abstraction and the exaggerated irony of Jeff Koons. She opened the era of a new romanticism, the love of androgyny and of youth, foreshadowing the marriage of fashion and rock celebrated today by Hedi Slimane. A decade later, the equally fragile John Lennon by Elizabeth Peyton would be valued at €600,000 in the sales room.

The retrospective of 2009, "Live Forever" at the New Museum in New York, was a rare opportunity to examine eye to eye these thumbnails vibrating with light, hung closely. The hundred images included portraits of her friend the artist Matthew Barney, of her ex-husband, the artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, of Michelle and Sasha Obama at the Democratic Convention of 2008. "Not celebrities, but people who do things," she explained further to the press. The artist has joined the prestigious Gagosian stable, which in turn became an idol of collectors worldwide. These days she, this left-hander who sees the world in 2D (a congenital defect), experiments: "After the retrospective, I wanted to do still lifes. I wanted to express myself without real 'portraits.' It took me to a few images of opera." Between the grey areas and the sharply drawn, the essence of these new Wagnerian models arises between two oils on painted aluminum dedicated to Bowie or her dog Felix. Beyond the similarities, the same aura of grandeur.

Translation from French to English by Kamila Brudzynska and Kellina de Boer

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Vogue Paris editorial image © 2013  Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved. Elizabeth Peyton paintings courtesy of the artist.