Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs Were 'Nervous' About How the Designer Would Be Perceived in New Documentary (Exclusive)
Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs Were 'Nervous' About How the Designer Would Be Perceived in New Documentary (Exclusive)
Catherine SantinoFri, March 20, 2026 at 2:29 PM UTC
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Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs making 'Marc by Sofia'Credit: Courtesy of A24 -
Longtime friends Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola chat with PEOPLE about the new documentary Marc by Sofia
In the A24 film, Jacobs reflects on his career as he prepares for his spring 2024 runway show
"I think we were both nervous about me seeing it for the first time," the fashion designer says
Sofia Coppola is showing the world a new side of her friend, Marc Jacobs.
The director, who has known the fashion designer since the early '90s, is embarking on her first documentary with A24's Marc by Sofia. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2025, follows Jacobs for the 12 weeks leading up to his spring 2024 show with backstage footage and reflections on his career milestones.
The intimate, fly-on-the-wall nature of the film, coupled with Jacobs and Coppola's rapport, allowed Jacobs to let his guard down — and he was anxious about the result. "I think we were both nervous about me seeing it for the first time," Jacobs, 62, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. "I mean, Sofia was like, 'I hope he likes it.' And I was like, 'Oh God, it's hard to look at myself.' "
Ultimately, though, Jacobs was "really happy with it." He recalls, "I remember saying at the end, 'I like this person. I don't hate this person at all.' I felt good about myself after seeing the movie. I was worried that was my big thing was like, 'Oh God, how am I going to come across with this? What am I going to look like? What is this going to look like?' "
"I was so relieved," Coppola, 54, adds.
Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs at the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 2, 2025Credit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty
In a process unlike that of her previous movies, the Oscar-winning filmmaker went into the documentary with no script and a stripped-bare production. "We didn't have a big crew, so, it felt intimate," she says. "Some days it would just be me with a little camera."Coppola later adds, "We didn't have any hair and makeup, professional lighting. I wanted it to feel real."
Jacobs agrees that the process "felt very, very natural," recalling how "someone would mention to me earlier or the day before, 'Oh, Sofia's going to come by.' " As a result, "it was just all really fluid."
The "skeleton" of the documentary, however, clicked for Coppola early on: she wanted to capture Jacobs' preparing for a runway show, from first fittings to final bow. "I thought it would be interesting to watch Marc from the very beginning through his process and then at the same time make this collage of memories and references," she says.
She admits that she "didn't really feel ready" to start filming when Jacobs was kicking off work on his spring 2024 collection, but she also didn't "want to miss this moment of seeing the very, very beginning."
Marc Jacobs in 'Marc by Sofia'Credit: Courtesy of A24
"So I just kind of jumped in without thinking too much and found our way," the Priscilla filmmaker says.
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Jacobs, who has long been unapologetic on and off the runway, says he's "proud" of the vulnerability that comes across on-screen. "I think always I've been pretty transparent," he says. "I don't really have an issue or a problem with being honest or showing my insecurities. I'm kind of good with that, kind of proud of myself for being that way ... that's never been my thing."
"Especially with somebody I know and love, it's like really easy to be like, 'Okay, this is who I am up and down, good and bad,' " the designer adds of working with Coppola.
Marc by Sofia explores Jacobs' many milestones in the fashion industry, from his controversial grunge collection at Perry Ellis to his disruptive designs at Louis Vuitton during his tenure as creative director.
Inspired by movies, Broadway divas and his own stylish grandmother, the documentary highlights the boldness and theatricality of Jacobs' work. Each show is a chance for him to moonlight as a theater director, he explains in one talking head, including the spring 2024 show that featured a larger-than-life table and chairs in the middle of the runway.
Marc Jacobs in 'Marc by Sofia'Credit: Courtesy of Marc Jacobs
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"I can't say that I consider practicality when I'm doing something," he admits. "I don't know that that's the job of the fashion I believe in. I think people make beautiful clothes that probably have to perform for the woman that wears them or buys them, but I just don't think that's what my job is right now."
He continues, "I think what myself and my team are looking to do is work through a process of telling a story and then putting that on. And hopefully that story inspires people maybe to think differently or just to enjoy the theatricality of the show itself. I think that's what my mission is really."
It's not his intention to be a disruptor, but "it just happens somehow." He explains, "I don't think like, 'What can I do to freak people out?' ""No, but you're reacting to the world around you," Coppola replies. "Right?" Jacobs agrees.
Marc by Sofia hits theaters on March 20.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
