How to be the next Sofia Coppola
First, I recommend one can start with a playlist curated by Sofia, to get yourself in the mood. Although it was more likely curated by her husband, which is relatively the same thing, both of them have excellent taste in music.
Intern at Chanel under Karl Lagerfeld’s tutelage (screams nepo, so jealous)
Attend a cool liberal arts college and major in painting.
Take up photography. Film camera only.
Have a bestie whose family were also legends in the film biz and get 90’s MTV to give you two a show that would today be ultra Gen Z (Sofia & Zoe Cassavetes were super ahead of the times)
Start an independent t-shirt line that only sold in cool places like Japan.
Marry said heir/film director, be that young power couple who are both friends with Wes Anderson.
Divorce heir/filmmaker husband and write a movie about your marriage.
The rest is common pop history if you’ve followed Sofia for the last 20 yrs or at least since Lost in Translation first came out, which is said to be about her time living in Tokyo, anyone with a Pinterest could’ve learned these things about her. And obviously, you can’t imitate Sofia’s life, but you can be inspired by elements that have contributed to her creative drive.
DEEPER DIVE ON BEING SOFIA
How is it that her persona has been casual cool and laid back that we forgot that she basically paved the way for industry nepo babies? But at least the way Sofia has evolved since her first celluloid cameo as in infant in the Godfather 2 (the infamous baptism scene, that was baby Sof) all the way up to adult Oscar winner having come from one of the most legacy showbiz families. I think I have the answer. The single way she is different than all the other nepos that have come before and after her, is that she wasn’t raised in Los Angeles. Her childhood may have consumed mostly of traveling to far off film locations, it’s evident that the Coppola clan has kept Napa, California as their loyal, home base. And she grew up in old Napa, way before how it is now with the variety of overpriced patisseries and Michelin star restaurants.
Creativity certainly runs in her blood on both sides of the family tree. Although she didn’t run with the family business straight away, Sofia tried her hand at various things from fashion, painting, acting, TV hosting, photography before she found that her thing was screenwriting and filmmaking.
It’s worthwhile to be curious, to be so motivated to observe and learn different subjects and mediums. What that did for Sofia, as she studied people, listened to other’s stories and watched what they did and what they were interested in, it built a taste level to what later became the Sofia aesthetic.
