Have you ever watched a film and likes the costumes? After the release of ‘The Virgin Suicides’ in 1999, and again after TikTok made it popular again, the fashion and overall aesthetic was a huge part of the films appeal. Even though it is set in the 70s it manages to not only depict teenage struggles of body image, mental health and sexualisation, it is also a major fashion inspiration with romantic lace, light fabrics, florals, and juxtaposing leather.
The director Sofia Coppola has said in The Guardian: “never felt she had to fit in with the majority view” this could make it easier for misunderstood women to feel seen. The minimalistic clothes, the sisters’ bedrooms and their relationship with each other continues to depict girlhood in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Prior to her directorial debut she worked to acquire her style through interning for Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel as a teen and photographing for Paris Vogue and Allure. This primed her to create a fashion brand as she: “always wanted to be a designer” in the 90s the ‘Milk Fed’ brand targeted the demographic of teenage girls and primarily sold simple and wearable clothes like baby-tees and miniskirts, perfect for their audience.
When Coppola did start directing, she amassed a large fan club. It is not just young girls who like her as Stephen Dorff, in ‘Somewhere‘ said: “her coolness [is] contagious”. However, it is not just ‘The Virgin Suicides’ that has haze and warmth which goes hand in hand with the costume design. The ethereal clothing makes appearances in all her films but especially in ‘The Beguiled’ and ‘Pricilla’ which both have strong women leads.
Like all trends they get recycled and come back around years later, this also happens with films and the fashion in them. The stylised beauty achieved by Stacey Battat, the fashion designer who has worked with Coppola on most of her films, has inspired a new wave of emerging directors as her: “sense of good taste is undeniable and effortless”, The New York Times, with films like ‘Palo Alto’ directed by Gia Coppola, Sofia Coppola’s niece, ‘Mustang’ by Deniz Gamze Erguven and ‘I Believe in Unicorns’ by Leah Meyerhoff. This clear correlation between film aesthetics shows her undeniable bridge between fashion and film.
