The first time I saw Marie Antoinette I was in middle school, certain it wouldn’t be the last. I remained enchanted, scrutinizing every detail—with the remote in hand—pausing at the key scenes. What attracted me to the film directed by Sofia Coppola was not only the close look at one of the most fascinating characters in history, Marie Antoinette, but—unconsciously—the attention given to the costumes by Milena Canonero, a costume designer and four-time Oscar winner in the Best Costume category.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stopped the film at the moment of the appearance of that famous pair of lavender Converse. A moment that has become a sort of ritual. Over the years, instead of seeing it as a mistake, I realized that the presence of those shoes from our contemporary era—especially to middle school me—was meant to be a true tribute to pop culture.

The references to the fashion world throughout the film are countless. In the case of Marie Antoinette, Sofia Coppola created a true imaginary world around the pastel colors of the consort queen’s macarons. Even though she does not appear in the film, the presence of Rose Bertin—the stylist of Marie Antoinette—seems to hover around Kirsten Dunst in the role of the Queen of France. The colors she wears, full of energy and opulence—at times cloying and excessively pastel—the unique textures, and the multitude of accessories are nothing but signs of a regime taking its last breaths.

On the occasion of the film’s recently turned eighteen years, we are left with no choice but to rewatch it once again, if only to admire the colors and costumes with fresh eyes. Sofia Coppola—herself a bona fide style icon—continues to make headlines, even with films like Priscilla, where fashion continues to play a fundamental role.