Louis Vuitton “SERIES 4” The New Norm

Louis Vuitton’s visual dialogue campaigns have now cross the threshold of its fourth edition with “Series 4.” collaborating with several artists of imagery, starting with "series 1". Through the artistic visions of German Photographer, Juergen Teller, American Photographer, Bruce Weber and Japanese video game powerhouse, Square Enix, Louis Vuitton “Series 4,” comes to life. Expressing their vision about the muses of our new era, Nicolas Ghesquière's choices shows each element of the Series 4, the campaign cast help expresses a powerful point of view about the muses of a new era that advocate stylistic freedom and genderless generation. It continues precisely where Louis Vuitton’s "post-cyber" vision left us in October; Louis Vuitton is no stranger to collaborations with renowned celebrities, having produced ads in which models, actors, and even politicians model the company’s attire and accessories.

The Heroine by Juergen Teller presented a series of images capturing the silhouette of Korean actress and Sense8 star, Doona Bae, against Miami’s blue skies. A fresh, clean backdrop that compliments well with her ensembles. Louis Vuitton’s Creative Director, Nicolas Ghesquière, chose Bae for the campaign stating, “I am fascinated by her gift for transformation, and I had her image very much in mind as I was creating this collection. She radiates strength and an artistic sensibility that corresponds to the values of the Maison.”

After being a soldier, fugitive, rebel, and demigoddess, Lightning is changing jobs again by becoming a model for Louis Vuitton’s Series 4 line for the upcoming Spring and Summer. Born Claire Farron, the comely modeling newcomer well known by her professional name: Lightning, which was the signature name she went by while serving as the central character in the Final Fantasy XIII video game sequence. Nicolas Ghesquière has been sharing pictures of the Tetsuya Nomura-designed character dressed in designer outfits through his Instagram account. Like a star athlete who just won a championship, video game Heroine Lightning has followed up on saving the world of Final Fantasy XIII by landing an endorsement deal.

Bruce Weber’s own version of “The Heroine,” takes on a more realistic point of view, and stays close to what he is know for, capturing images of youth’s vitality. How does he capture this? He shoots a group of girls, ready to take on the world, full of imagination, confidence and promise. However, there is a twist in Weber’s story, one that might not be expected. Uniquely the Heroine is not a female, but played by Jaden Smith, the eccentric young actor and rapper, who's known for his exceptional fashion sense and artistic freedom. Jaden Smith together with enchanting new faces Rianne Van Rompaey, Jean Campbell and Sarah Brannon were the stars of Weber’s take in this series. Nicolas Ghesquière states Jaden Smith role perfectly, “He represents a generation that has assimilated the codes of true freedom, one that is free of manifestos and questions about gender. Wearing a skirt comes as naturally to him as it would to a woman who, long ago, granted herself permission to wear a man’s trench or a tuxedo. Jaden Smith conveys something very interesting about the integration of a global wardrobe. He’s found an instinctive balance that makes his extraordinary attitude a new norm. That really inspired me in the creative process for this collection.”

WRITTEN BY RAWDAH AL NAIMI

PHOTO CREDIT: LOUIS VUITTON