New texts by Jeffrey Eugenides and Coppola in Corinne Day volume
Important Flowers, the imprint directed by Sofia Coppola in partnership with British publisher MACK, is issuing The Virgin Suicides, a photobook collecting Corinne Day’s work from the set of Coppola’s first feature film. Edited by the director from original negatives in her private archive, the volume arrives to coincide with the film’s twenty-fifth anniversary.
Released in 1999, The Virgin Suicides is an adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides‘ 1993 novel. The film documents the lives and deaths of the five Lisbon sisters in 1970s suburban Detroit, observed through the collective gaze of neighborhood boys. Since its initial release, the work has established a cult standing, noted for its specific visual aesthetic and treatment of adolescent repression.
A key element of the film’s atmosphere is the original score by the French duo Air, which builds a textured sonic landscape that emphasizes the narrative’s focus on suburban isolation.
For the production, Coppola commissioned Day to document the process behind the scenes. Day, recognized for a stripped-back photographic style often associated with 1990s grunge aesthetics, recorded the collaborative environment and the young actors between takes. The sequence includes specific fragments of set and costume design, such as crucifixes, homecoming dresses, pink lace bras, and toffee apples.
The 88-page volume features new text contributions from Sofia Coppola and Jeffrey Eugenides, establishing a dialogue between the original novel and its visual adaptation. Anamaria Morris handled the design for Joseph Logan Design. The physical edition is an embossed linen-bound hardcover with a tipped-in image, scheduled for an April 2025 release.
Corinne Day (1962–2010) was a British photographer. Her initial published work appeared in The Face in 1990, featuring early photographs of Kate Moss. In 1993, Alexandra Shulman commissioned Day to photograph Moss for British Vogue. Her first monograph, Diary, was released in 2000, accompanied by an exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery in London.
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