Sofia and Louis

That old adage “Necessity is the mother of invention” might be what motivated director Sofia Coppola to venture into Louis Vuitton’s workshop in Asnières, a suburb of Paris, looking for the perfect handbag. “I couldn’t find one I liked, so I was going to custom-order one from Vuitton,” says Coppola. One thing led to another, and she found herself designing a capsule collection of handbags and shoes for the French luxury house. The line includes a simple shoulder bag, above, 1940s-inspired wedge sandals and an evening clutch trimmed in gold piping and topped off with an Art Deco–style clasp. To ensure the practicality of the bags, Coppola, who lives in Paris and likes to walk, road-tested each style.