When asked about her style icons, Sofia Coppola shared her admiration for Aurore Clément: “The seventies seemed like such a glamorous time. It was before sportswear became normal; women didn't wear sneakers. There was a romance and a decadence to the way those women looked that I found very appealing. I remember being impressed by the French actress Aurore Clément, who was married to my dad's production designer Dean Tavoularis and was a friend of the family's. I think she even posed for Helmut Newton when she was younger, and she epitomized a certain kind of sophisticated French beauty. She would wear Yves Saint Laurent — not the super-sexy slash-necked looks but silk pleated skirts with a little blouse and round, flat shoes. She was very chic.”
Sofia Coppola went on to cast Aurore Clément in the role of the “Duchesse de Chartres” in her film Marie Antoinette, perhaps atoning for the fact that her father, Francis Ford Coppola, cut all of Clément’s scenes from what would have been her first appearance in an American movie, Apocalypse Now. The time that Mademoiselle Clément spent working on Apocalypse Now was not a total loss, however, as she was destined to meet her husband on the set and her scenes were later restored in Apocalypse Now Redux.
Born Marie-Thérèse Aurore Louise Clément in 1945 in 
Soissons, France, she modeled before making her acting debut as “France Horn” in the 1974 film Lacombe Lucien after Louis Malle spotted her on the cover of Elle. Clément is widely recognized for her portrayal of “Anne” in Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders which was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Also notable is the fact that she appeared in Stan the Flasher, the last film made by Serge Gainsbourg. Of her own style, Clément says she prefers white clothing: "Wearing white makes you stronger.” One can easily see why Sofia Coppola finds style inspiration in this chic and accomplished woman.
Sofia Coppola and Aurore Clément photographs courtesy of davidvalteau.com, toutlecine.com, © Tony Korody/Sygma/Corbis, wireimage.com, Getty Images, actustar.com