Sofia Coppola’s Chanel-Hosted Book Launch Party Was Basically a Movie

Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst at the CHANEL dinner

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 22 September 2023

It’s never been a secret that Sofia Coppola is my icon—both style-wise and otherwise. My original Instagram username was a play on our shared first name (I definitely wished I got the “f” instead of “ph” for a while), I have a stash of her discontinued Marc Jacobs lipstick (please bring back So Sofia, Marc!), and you don’t need to know how many times I’ve seen The Bling Ring (many). So, when I saw Hollywood’s coolest starlets show up for a party honoring the multi-hyphenate on Tuesday—wearing a so-similar-this-had-to-be-planned makeup look—I knew I needed insight on the situation.

While Coppola is always in style, she’s really shining this fall. In November, her highly anticipated film Priscilla will be released, based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley. And earlier this month, she released her first book, The Sofia Coppola Archive: 1999-2023, a 488-page treasure trove of insights and mementos from her career thus far.

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To celebrate the book launch, Chanel hosted an intimate dinner for the filmmaker at the also-iconic Chateau Marmont in Hollywood. While the guests all had the obvious in common (their it-factor, of course!) there was something else they seemed to share on that magical evening: a proclivity for fresh-faced beauty. In almost every photo from the September 20 event, attendees could be seen done-up—or rather done-down—in glowy foundation and minimal-to-no eye makeup. It was all very Virgin Suicides, as opposed to the era of cat eyes Priscilla is sure to usher in.

As for who partook in the trend, it was an it-girl-filled affair, with the likes of Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Alexandra Shipp, Chloe Zhao, and Olivia Munn showing up and showing out for Coppola. Frequent collaborators Rashida Jones, Elle Fanning, and Kristen Dunst also made a bare-faced appearance.

In a 2017 interview with Marie Claire, Coppola shared the best advice she’d ever gotten. At age 20, Anjelica Huston (who was also a guest at the party) told her that “not everyone’s going to like you.”

How about this for an addendum? Not everyone’s going to like you, but everyone loves a dewy complexion.

Sophia Vilensky is a Freelance Beauty Writer at Marie Claire with a beauty, wellness, and entertainment journalism portfolio that includes contributions to Byrdie, Bravo, Teen Vogue, and Us Weekly. Growing up in a family of beauticians—and through her own personal studies—she developed an in-depth understanding of aesthetics, cosmetic product formulation, and beauty treatment development and has also held roles as a senior copywriter, content strategist, and proofreader for top beauty and wellness brands. Even so, you'd be hard pressed to find her with her hair and makeup actually done. Sophia is based in Minneapolis and is a 2019 graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she majored in English and minored in cinema studies. During her time at the university, she was the Arts & Entertainment Editor for the Minnesota Daily, earning the 2019 Editor of the Year award for her work. She connected deeply with the Twin Cities arts scene, collaborating with leading beauty professionals, designers, and artists. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, her thesis—a close-reading of Vanderpump Rules—was featured on NPR. When not immersed in writing or testing new products, Sophia enjoys watching reality TV, reading, and exploring the newest woo-woo wellness trends. Keep up with her on Instagram @sophiavilensky.

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