Less than a day after Madonna’s first ads for the Louis Vuitton Spring 2009 campaign stormed the fashion newswire, so follow the promo images for Sofia Coppola’s upcoming capsule accessories collection for the French luxury house — just in time for us to fall in lust for the weekend. Tonight, her premiere LV handbags and shoes mini-line will be fêted in true style at Tokyo’s Château Restaurant, Joël Robuchon.
After Sofia and Francis Ford Coppola collaborated with LV for the Core Values campaign, rumors brewed of a Sofia-helmed design project. Once confirmed to be true, the news was well publicized — yet specifics remained shadowy, until very recently. Who says that no one in fashion can keep a secret?
“To start with I wanted to make a bag for myself and then we talked about making a little capsule collection,” Coppola revealed to WWD. “My friends and I are always searching for the perfect day bag.”
She has also added that her ideal bag wouldn’t be “enormous”, the color black, or riddled with hardware; if she succeeded, she could debunk the myth that “the perfect bag doesn’t exist”. When in doubt, make it yourself.
With her “SC” tote (which will retail for €1,600/$2,190), Coppola has seemingly fulfilled her own handbag fantasy. It is, for all intents and purposes, a fine, universally attractive day bag. But will LV fans respond enthusiastically to a guest designer’s whims?
We think so. Coppola’s leather totes and clutches are demure, discreet, and somehow tantalizing: reflective of both her own offbeat, yet nuanced personal style and Louis Vuitton’s iconic luxury. Plus, even at their steep cost, the bags are recession friendly — after all, now is the time to invest in & build those elusive closet staples.
The “SC” totes can be ordered in the LV monogram or plain, and in dark grey suede, royal blue, and burgundy. Our pick? The royal, plush blue (unmonogram-free) version shown in the promos. The other accessories don’t disappoint, either. The sleek clutches (€800) are gorgeous, while the delicate strappy wedges (€500) — designed with Coppola’s fondness for 70s era YSL in mind — are dazzling.
Yesterday, we fussed over Madonna’s impressive LV ads. Now we’re coveting the SC collection. It’s official: Louis Vuitton is on a winning streak.
Next March, Coppola’s collection will hit Louis Vuitton boutiques and fine retailers worldwide.
Which of Sofia’s designs do you find most striking?
