Sofia Coppola and Chanel share a special history, with the American director and screenwriter first interning at the storied French fashion house as a teenager. Since then, she’s been a front row staple at the annual Chanel Métiers d’Art shows, with Chanel pieces regularly appearing in Coppola films like The Bling Ring and On The Rocks. Now, Sofia Coppola lends her signature intimate filmmaking style to The Chanel Iconic, a short film celebrating the ultimate icon at the House of Chanel; the 11.12 bag.
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The quilted leather, braided chain, and double C clasp of the 11.12 bag are instantly recognisable as the handiwork of Chanel. “That bag is a star, it’s such a symbol of womanhood – and makes you feel a certain way,” says Coppola of the 11.12 bag. “Your first Chanel bag is an unforgettable moment, it’s a rite of passage. I wanted to focus on the bag, how it’s made, and how it makes you feel – how you notice women passing by in Paris who seem to be going somewhere and have a life… and some mystery.”
Bringing elegance to the quotidian, the short film sees friends of Chanel – Carole Bouquet, Anna Mouglalis, Zoé Adjani, Louise de Chevigny, and Iman Perez – walking around the streets of Paris styled in Chanel tweed suits and jewellery with the 11.12 on their arms. Proving an icon never goes out of style, The Chanel Iconic depicts how the 11.12 bag translates itself to the modern woman.
As Zoé Adjani says, “with all the history it carries inside, it represents more than a bag: it’s like carrying Paris on your shoulder.”
Watch The Chanel Iconic and learn more about the 11.12 bag here.
Words by Esmé Duggan