Sofia Coppola collaborates with Louis Vuitton

Hollywood aristocrat Sofia Coppola has designed a collection of bags and shoes for Louis Vuitton. They will go on sale from Spring 2009, after launching in Japan this December.

Coppola says of her style that "I like to be comfortable because I am Californian - nothing too severe or feeling I am wearing costume." Her fashion epiphany came when she saw the Marc Jacobs 1992 "grunge" collection for Perry Ellis which "felt exactly like what I wanted." It was the start of a fashion love affair that led to her being the "face" (and the half-naked body) of Jacobs's first fragrance.

Coppola joins a roster of artistic people who have worked with Vuitton, including the contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, Stephen Sprouse and, more recently, Comme des Garcons designer Rei Kawakubo, and Richard Prince.

According to the Herald Tribune, Coppola was inspired by a trip to Louis Vuitton's headquarters in Asnières. Working with the special order department, she wanted to design a lightweight, no-fuss day bag - "the perfect bag that doesn't exist."