In L.A., Chanel Hosted a Dinner Feting Sofia Coppola’s New Book

Fashion month may be in full swing, but that didn t deter a glamorous gathering at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The intimate dinner hosted by Chanel fêted the launch of Sofia Coppola s first book, Sofia Coppola Archive: 1999-2023. The art book chronicles Coppola s career in scrapbook form, ranging from shots of Kirsten Dunst on the set of The Virgin Suicides to ephemera from her recent work on a Priscilla Presley biopic.

Stepping into Chateau Marmont on Tuesday evening, in a way, felt like stepping into one of the pages of Coppola’s archival book. Her film Somewhere (2010) was shot at Chateau Marmont and many of the pages feature scenes in the historic hotel. “Just walking up the stairs, I felt like we were in Somewhere, my film that we shot here,” Coppola says. “It brings back lots of memories. I spent a lot of my 20s here in the ’90s and it reminds me of sneaking into the pool and the things we did.”

The Chateau’s iconic outdoor terrace was transformed for the evening. Many of the usual low-profile tables and sofas were replaced with rows of longer tables dressed in crisp white tablecloths and decorated with undone bouquets of spindly white flowers and white Garden phlox reminiscent of the Camellia flowers synonymous with Chanel.

In attendance were Molly Shannon, Chloé Zhao, Alexandra Shipp, Thomas Mars, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Priscilla Presley, Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning, Rashida Jones, Maya Rudolph, Gia Coppola, Paris Hilton, Gretchen Lieberum, Olivia Munn, John Mulaney, and more.

Coppola’s longstanding history with Chanel traces its origins to an internship with the French House in the summer of 1986 and blossomed in 1989 when Coppola selected Chanel suits for her father Francis Ford Coppola s film, Life Without Zoë as part of the "New York Stories" chapter. The collaboration between the two endured over the years encompassing photography, filmmaking, and even capsule collections. It was only fitting that Chanel played host to the launch of Coppola’s first book.

Towards the end of the evening, Coppola took the stage to thank Chanel and her collaborators for a beautiful evening. She also introduced the night s performer, Princess, the Prince cover band fronted by Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum. Meanwhile, plates of berries and cream, along with bite-sized brownies, made their way to tables.

As Rudolph, decked in pearls, and Lieberum took the stage, the crowd went wild. Some guests danced and sang along to the words with seatmates, while others simply settled into their seats, some even lighting cigarettes from nearby candles. Even more, made their way to the front of the stage to dance. Coppola herself swayed to the music as Rashida Jones danced nearby. The performance, and the evening, ended in a standing ovation.