Louis Vuitton is the most powerful luxury brand in the world, so of course its ad campaigns are always season-leading blockbusters. This year the brand, lead by Nicolas Ghesquiere, made several unconventional choices to showcase its Spring 2016 runway collection.
The most prominent face of the campaign is Lightning, a pink-haired hero in the popular Final Fantasy video game series. According to Women’s Wear Daily, Vuitton’s spring collection was inspired by Japanese anime and included a model that looked very similar to the pink-haired Lightning, so the choice might be non-traditional, but it’s not entirely out of left field.
What was even more unexpected that a fictional video game heroine, though, was Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada. He appears in the ads in pieces from the women’s collection and, quite frankly, looks great. The industry as a whole has had a keen interest in androgyny for the past few years, from Kanye West wearing Céline’s women’s silk blouses to Pantone melding shades of blue and pink in order to get a 2016 Color of the Year that bucked the gender binary. It was only a matter of time until a male-identified celebrity turned up in a woman’s campaign, and Jaden and Vuitton pull off the crossover well.
Beyond the people (and characters) in the ads, there are also plenty of beautiful bags to feast your eyes on from Vuitton’s Spring 2016 runway. Take a look below; the collection isn’t available to purchase quite yet, but when it is, we’ll bring you all the info.
Photo 10 !!!!!!
Tacky 🙁
The bags look so bizarrely out of place in the videos with Lightning. This collaboration with Square Enix is certainly interesting, I’ve played and loved all the Final Fantasy games but I don’t know if I like this pairing. The videos just seem so random with her striking battle poses with a bag; they couldn’t have given her a more natural moveset?
Actually, I’m enjoying the styling, but I expected something else from Ghesquiere. Except for the mini-suitcase-like ones, these are seem so Birkin’ish and Chanel -ish?
I came here to say the exact same thing. it seems LV is trying way to hard to put itself in the ranks of Chanel, and it isn’t working for me. I would hope for some more innovative pieces.
I love my two Balenciaga motorcycle bags. I’d just thought, I’d see more tactile use of leather and edgier styling? They look like knock-off bags? Like someone mashed up references to other famous bags? That chain motif is like an Hemes wannabe. Sorry. Maybe next season.
I love the mini trunk
So we’re not even pretending anymore that these clothes are for grown women, right? Because nothing says “Hey, that will look great on me” like having the clothes modeled by a skinny teenage boy.
Why would it not be for grown women? Just because they are showing it in a way, different than what you are used to? It’s a fashion campaign for goodness sake. If you have to depend on these photos in the literal sense to see if you can wear them or not, then you have a problem. I am a grown woman and I see it as them pushing the envelope, which I like. Furthuring the discourse on gender.
Oh and by the way, I don’t appreciate you skinny shaming me. I don’t starve myself either, just naturally skinny. I don’t fat shame other people either.
Sincerely,
A skinny woman who’s not angry
They are real women.
…i dont know how old you are, but you sound 100 yo
See my post above. Stop skinny/fat shaming!
HAhahahahahhaaahahaha YAASSSS
Wow, that’s super classy. I’m not 100 years old; however, I have gone through puberty, leaving me with breasts and hips, which apparently are not trendy this year.
These clothes are not made just for you. They are for anyone and everyone. I think that is the main message the Nicolas is trying to express. He wants to show that anyone regardless of age, gender, race, and sex can wear his clothes.
Yeah! Fuck trans and intersex women, we don’t exist and we’re not “real” women. Fuck off.
My neice is 6′. And size 4. She’s all woman despite your obscenely skewed view of ‘feminine’.
Not sure if this isn’t blatantly obvious but the ad campaign seems to be pretty Asian-centric…so… yah… Nothing says classy like insulting Asian body types.
Jaden Smith is Asian? Wow, The More You Know. If Louis Vuitton’s target market is teenage boys, intersex people, and the super, super oppressed model-tall and skinny demographic, more power to them. I’m sure that they are not going to miss my business, with my apparently ugly, elderly, and non-Asian self(*) that all you open-minded folks are so eager to insult.
I should have known better than to comment here; this kind of bullshit is why I peaced out of the Hermes forum.
(*)Also: Where did you find my picture? How do you know what I look like, my race, my face, my height?
Just curious, what brand do you think DOESNT use super model-tall skinny women? As a feminist, this reeks of skinny shaming.
Also, its a fashion blog, relax.
I hope your anger wont consume you any further. Bless you <3
The reason you are receiving so much hate is that your first comment reads close minded and like you are targeting the androgynous side of this ad campaign. Whether men wear women’s clothing or women wear men’s clothing it may not be considered the “norm” there are a lot more people who dress that way and/or know people who dress that way.
This perhaps was not your intent however the following comments you posted did not clarify this which comes off as you being defensive and defending these notions that men and women should stick to wearing clothes that was made for their “gender”. Gender is a very fluid thing and even people who are assigned with certain reproductive organs they do not always identify with this as their gender.
In the future maybe just comment that you don’t like the style, cut, lines or colours as opposed to singling out race, gender, age or sexuality and you won’t get so much hate and won’t require you to have to “peaced out” of forums and/or discussion threads.
TL;DR?
Be mindful of the others who may read your comments on here.
Oh dear…
The makeup they used to make her look “anime” is impressive
Bags are dumb.
Loving the overall fashion look because it’s cohesive and the accent pieces are wearable. The trick is to figure out which pieces you can absorb into your wardrobe. I’m over 50 and I’d TOTALLY wear the rainbow jacket in #5 and tone it down with black jeans + ballet flats and I would not look like a fashion victim. (also loving the pants in #13).
Love that idea with the jacket! I also love the idea of a fitted black top with those colourful trousers and some pillages!
Japan is a massive market for LV.
Serious question – is Lightning a computer generated image “wearing” the clothes and “holding” the bag or is she a real-life model dressed up as a character who is then photoshopped to look computer generated?
On a side note, the model in 5 wearing the same out fit as Lightning in 3 has ripped abdominals and hips that look a million times better than the plastic, formless tube that forms Lightning’s midriff. It just looks like bad photoshop.
Computer generated by the developers that produced the game. They worked directly with Louis Vuitton and Nicolas for the ad.
YEEEEEEEEES JADEN! So glad to see LV taking their marketing towards gender non conforming people, way excited because it feels like, holy shit, someone recognizes clothes don’t have to be gendered!
This collection was really good and the ad campaigns made me love it even more. Nicolas always knows how to push the bar higher. You guys failed to mention that Bae Doona is starring in the campaign too. She’s one of the stars of the Netflix series SENSE8.
Guess what? Apparently you just don’t understand and you’re probably prejudiced against the oppressed virtual and underaged-gaming people that LV is embracing with this campaign. (/sarc)
I feel like Ghesquire has done N amazing job at revitalising Louis Vuitton image for a fashion house as opposed to just accessories.
Under Marc Jacobs Louis Vuitton was putting out amazing bags but their clothing line never attracted me to it. I find Ghesquire has done the complete opposite where I am attracted to the clothing (particularly LVs shoes!) I haven’t been drawn in by their bags.
Having said that I love the new steamer bag and I loved the lockit tote! Was surprised I’ve seen more people carry the capucine bags and that new chunky Louis Vuitton logo chain bag (I think it’s called the twist?)
I find the campaign stunning and interesting, and there are a couple of pieces I’d wear — toned down, since I’m “of a certain age” (i.e. 55+) and look stupid if I’m trying too hard :-). That said, I feel there’s a disconnect between the overall styling/youthful look of the campaign and the bags themselves — which has nothing to do with gender/nationality/age.
The city steamer bag is growing on me…
Final Fantasy influence? Yes.
Jaden Smith as muse? No.
Spending my money on these bags? No way!
I see where LV is heading, young Asian generation. These bags don’t appeal to me, I’m not in the target market either.
YEAH Final Fantasy XIII is my favorite game, Lightning is my favorite character, and I want to go spend all my yen on these bags just because she is holding them. This definitely is effective with me, the highly underrepresented basement-dwelling nerd/handbag enthusiast demographic.
Loved what Ghesquire did at Balenciaga, but with his first attempt at LV I am left with the Twist and the Petit Malle. I didn’t like his latest runway show either. Too experimental and too far off from the LV DNA.