In someone else's shoes

Sofia Coppola wanted to create a day bag that was chic yet practical and says it was a fantasy to custom design shoes, especially with the talented team at Louis Vuitton. Photo / Supplied

She's a Hollywood darling, it's an established design house respected for its heritage and craftsmanship. Together Sofia Coppola and Louis Vuitton share a love of good design, and the results show.

Famous for being an Academy Award winning screenwriter, director, actress and producer, Sofia can now add being the designer of one of the coolest accessory ranges around to her list of accomplishments. Renowned for her effortless elegance, it is this that she brings to her latest collaboration with the leading French design house and it is what helps set the range apart from others.

Sofia, who chooses to base herself in Paris, worked on and off for almost a year to create a collection of bags and accessories so right for this time: a practical and understated day bag, an elegant pouchette for evening, and feminine shoes that are distinctive for their lack of ostentatiousness.

Here she shares with Viva what makes her style unique, and the creative process behind working with Louis Vuitton.

How would you define your style?
That's hard to say about yourself. I like beautiful things, so I enjoy clothes, but for myself, I like things that are classic and not too loud or flashy.

Do you remember when you first became interested in fashion?
As a young child - I was always interested in my parent's friends jewellery and accessories ... and then as an adolescent, I loved looking at Paris Vogue and The Face.

Who are your fashion heroines?
Tina Chow, Lauren Hutton (had her in mind when we did the Monogram pochette), Diana Vreelend.

What is your best fashion memory?
Sitting on Yves Saint Laurent's lap at New Years when I was about 12.

How did you first become friends with designer Marc Jacobs?
I saw pictures of his grunge collection when he was at Perry Ellis when I was about 19 or 20. I was visiting NY with my mom, and asked if we could go see it. Robert Duffy, Marc's partner, met me and was nice enough to show me the collection and then Marc said hello, and we started talking and got along and had interests in common...

I don't remember after that, but I remember hanging out with him and Anna Sui in NY in the early 90s.

How would you define the spirit of his collections, both for his own label and for Louis Vuitton?
Not sure how to define them, I love what he does, he makes women look chic, he makes the kind of clothes you want to wear.

Aside from Marc Jacobs, who are the fashion designers, past or present, whom you most admire?
Yves Saint Laurent.