“The spirit of our Spring/Summer 2012 collection is reflected beautifully in this new ad campaign,” says Louis Vuitton Artistic Director Marc Jacobs. “All the tone and texture of the collection – the lightness, the prettiness, the broderie anglaise, the millefeuille layers of organza – are recreated in these wonderful images by Steven Meisel. It is all very soft and very sweet, yet at the same time very bold and very graphic.”

In an intriguing echo of the previous season, the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 advertising campaign once again takes up the narrative of the fashion show, continuing it from the point where the woman steps daintily off the pure white fairground carrousel and into the pastel pink paradise of a nearby ice cream parlor. Like the vintage limousines of the Fall/Winter campaign, this vastly different setting – painstakingly recreated in a New York studio, complete with a mouth-watering array of Chantilly-topped sundaes – provides the perfect showcase for the deliciously sweet, airy concoctions of Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

Up-and-coming models Daria Strokous and Kati Nescher are the lucky pair chosen to sample the parlor’s assorted delights while wearing some of the season’s standout looks, including romantic broderie anglaise dresses, ladylike shifts embellished with strass, studs and 3D flowers, and sorbet- colored suits with white lace collars. Accessories, too, feature prominently in the nine visuals, foremost among them the Lockit bag in sheer nylon voile that opened the runway show, the Speedy in powdered, whitewashed crocodile, and the pointed-toe mules in pastel shades with metal toe caps, dainty laces or rows of tiny buttons. “The whole ambiance is very pretty, very special and very magical,” says Marc Jacobs, “and I’m sure it will look just delicious and fresh come the spring.”

Isabelle des Garets, Advertising and Editions Director for Louis Vuitton, comments: “Once again, Marc Jacobs and Steven Meisel have created a stunning campaign that not only captures the romance and lightness of the runway show, but expresses it in an entirely fresh and playful way – and in a style that is unmistakably Louis Vuitton.”

The Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 advertising campaign will break in the February 2012 issues of magazines worldwide.

Models: Kati Nescher Daria Strokous
Stylist:
Karl Templer
Photographer: Steven Meisel
Hair: Guido Palau
Makeup: Pat McGrath



Video via Louis Vuitton

“A sophomore endeavor in the glare of the spotlight is never easy. Think second books, second albums, second movies. To sharpen the challenge for Kim Jones, Louis Vuitton draws one hell of a spotlight. But in his second season as director of the men’s studio for the brand, Jones aced it. The job agrees with him. He loves travel, which is Vuitton’s lifeblood. He has a connoisseur’s sensibility, again, a Vuitton signature. But Jones also has the kind of endlessly engaged, curatorial attitude to his world that can make memorably graphic connections between people, places, and times. This collection, for example, he called “a tale of two cities,” Paris and Tokyo, capitals of culture that have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship. Georges Vuitton, son of Louis himself, was inspired by Japanese floral paintings while he was developing the iconic monogram.

But Jones was also thinking about a different kind of bridge for Vuitton. He has always loved Antonio Lopez, the fashion illustrator whose visual style helped define the seventies and eighties. Lopez was, according to Jones, one of the first fashion people to ever go to Japan and use its inspiration in his work. He was also an alumnus of the High School of Art and Design in New York. So is Marc Jacobs, Vuitton’s Number One. All of which is a roundabout way of getting to the point that Vuitton’s latest menswear collection made the kind of connections Jones relishes. And that’s even before we get to the fact that Giorgio Moroder, Mister Disco himself, introduced the show, vocoder vox and all, before pressing the button on a soundtrack of his classics.

Under a giant silver globe (for some reason, it echoed Scarface, but maybe that was just because Moroder, who scored the movie, was in the house), Jones marched a consummate collection of new international style down the catwalk. The materials alone took you on a journey: a camel coat with kangaroo fur collar, a trench with crocodile patches, a coat cut from a Vuitton travel blanket, shoes of astrakhan, and, most of all, exquisite silks that had been woven outside Tokyo in a place recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The weaving process is so agonizingly ritualized by tradition that they can produce only 20 centimeters a day. And yet here were whole suits and kimono shirts cut from the stuff. The shirts were used under jackets instead of waistcoats, “a replacement of the three-piece,” said Jones. But counterpointing this traditional stuff were the most advanced techno fabrics, also from Japan. They were cut into reflective outerwear that harked back to Jones’ own collections.

There was detail in the collection that made the head spin—Antonio’s feather and arrow motifs were reproduced by couture ateliers (the feathers hand-painted in the company’s Gaston color scheme), locks on bags were covered in tiny leather sheaths modeled on the signs of the Chinese zodiac. It’s that curatorial thing again. But today it was also the genuine pleasure of an eye for detail meeting a bottomless pocket. The result was a stellar sophomore outing.” – Tim Blanks, Style.com

Gallery:
• Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2012 Menswear Collection – Fashion Show
• Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2012 Menswear Collection – Backstage
• Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2012 Menswear Collection – Celebrities

Images via Louis Vuitton / Ludwig Bonnet

“Disney’s “It’s a Small World” was playing at Louis Vuitton’s presentation. It’s a fitting message; few brands have the global reach of this powerhouse. For pre-fall, design director Julie de Libran opted to expand on the house codes established since Marc Jacobs moved in and began designing ready-to-wear for the company nearly 14 years ago. And she did that through the lens of Charlotte Perriand, the late architect and designer who’s as well-known in France for her personal style as for her prodigious output between the wars.

That meant that the clothes had a vaguely 1940′s feel, with menswear checks bonded to duchesse satin to produce the softened, slightly rounded shapes of car coats and skirtsuits. It also gave de Libran a reason to put a military spin on the proceedings. Trompe l’oeil frogging details dressed up both a baby-doll dress belted high on the waist and a princess coat. As for other house codes, the iconic Stephen Sprouse leopard print made an encore performance on a sharp mohair jacquard pantsuit. The charm factor was high here—see the studded and grommeted berets and the shoes with tufts of fur spilling out. Most important to the brand, however, is the reintroduction of the Papillon bag. Now in a mini size, the cylindrical tote came “debossed” with the LV logo. The world is full of embossed monogram bags, after all.” – Nicole Phelps, Style.com

Images via Louis Vuitton

The Maison Louis Vuitton revisits the business bag, offering two new elegant and contemporary styles for men in iconic Taiga leather: the Néo-Igor and its big brother Néo-Alexander.

For the very first time, the Maison is offering the opportunity to customise not only the exterior of your bag but also the interior to match travellers’ needs. For the Made To Order program, Taiga, the first men’s signature leather created in 1993, is proposed in a rich palette of four colors –Ardoise, Grizzli, Boréal and Glacier. Each of them can be associated with one of the four new colors of lining – burgany, brown, navy and black.

The Maison also offers the freedom of arranging the interior of your bag to correspond to your personal use, with a choice of four pockets designed to hold the business essentials such as a laptop, smart phone, iPad, documents, business cards or a clean spare shirt. The Louis Vuitton Taiga Made To Order service offers the possibility to add or remove the outside leather strap for attaching the bag to the Pegase suitcase and/or a shoulder strap.

In order to offer an unique bag, each owner can have his name laser-engraved on a leather patch in the inside. Totally in tune with modern man’s needs, thanks to more than 2500 combinations, the Néo-igor and the Néo-Alexander are the perfect expression of the Maison’s desire to meet the invidual needs of the most demanding travellers, whether city dwellers or globetrotters.

The Taiga journey continues.

Taïga Néo-Igor (left) & Taïga Néo-Alexander (right) in Ardoise

Video via Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton Cruise 2012 Catalogue
Photography : Mark Segal
Art Direction: William Snieg
Model : Arizona Muse

Images via Louis Vuitton

Of nomadic heart at home or abroad, the Louis Vuitton man cultivates his traveller’s spirit. On the move or dining out in style, casual or to-the-nines, he is ever refined and dares to set off his look with innovative, classic or unexpected accessories. Essentials that he picks from Louis Vuitton collection of timeless objects or House classics expressed with masculine air in iconic fabrics (Monogram, Damier) or precious leathers (Nomade, Taiga, Utah), branded with the LV initials.

Billfolds, agendas, key chains or high-tech protective covers are indispensable for the man who cares about the quality of his discreet companions. Louis Vuitton small leather goods reveal the excellence of their make with each handling: the selection of the finest materials, small folds in the corner, the tinted edges, a variety of finishes creating a line of sturdy, long-lasting objects meant to keep. Hot-stamping on smaller accessories, addresstags, personalise these items with the owner’s initials for a potent feeling of exclusivity.

The Louis Vuitton man is an elegant enthusiast, well-groomed down to the last detail, relishing the rich, brushed gleam of USB keys, bill clips, and cufflinks, or the sophisticated pop aura of jewellery with stylised emblems. He amps up his look with stoles and shawls in precious blends of silk, linen or cashmere and seasonal variations on iconic prints (blue Damier and khaki Leopard).

The finishing touch for a stylish man? A pair of sunglasses, created in the quest for excellence and made from materials and treatments all springing from the latest technological advances.


Toile de Louis Yellow Stole, Socoa Damier Gold Sunglasses, Digit Key Holder, Damier Ebene iPhone Case

Painted Damier Blue and White Stole, Audace Black Sunglasses, Ellipse Belt in Calf Leather Moka, 6-Key Holder in Damier Graphite, Chaine XL Key Holder, Explorer Compass Key Holder

Lezard Camouflage Stole, Explorer Necklace, Impulsion Yellow Sunglasses, LV Initiales Belt in Mastic Suede, James Wallet in Damier Infini Onyx, Tambour Automatic Chronograph Voyagez Watch

Navy Yellow Manuscript Pocket Square, Impulsion Pilote Brown Sunglasses, Taïga Glacier LV Inintiales Belt, Nomade Khahi Multiple Wallet, Soft Briefcase in Tabac Nomade Leather

Damier Ebene Stole, Harold Brown Sunglasses, Damier Ebene Astropill Key Holder, Compact Wallet in Utah Leather

USB Key, Card Holder Voyage, Digit Cufflinks, Mon Monogram Brazza Wallet, Lezard Blue Tie

Navy Sunglasses Impulsion Pilote, Cloche Ardoise Key Holder, Ellipse Belt in Mastic Calf Leather, Florin Wallet in Glacier

Grey LV Club Key Holder, Blue Signature Cufflinks, Monogram Macassar Gaspar Wallet, Dot Flower Grey Tie, Champs-Elysées Bill Clip

Images via Louis Vuitton

The travels of Louis Vuitton are invitations to dream of faraway places… yet, at times, our roots are our greatest inspiration. Ah, Paris! This Spring-Summer 2012 is when Louis Vuitton gazes upon the timeless French capital, land of languid gardens and lively terraces. The shoe collection has all the discreet chic and sparkling femininity of those lithesome Parisian dames and demoiselles.

Thong in Patent Calf Leather, Open-toe Pump in Satin

Designed for a walk along the sweet sophistication of city streets, our shoe collection is a complete summer wardrobe in itself. From extra-low to ultra-high, it contains every look for a sophisticated woman, each created with the House’s savoir-faire in excellence. Every model is made in the shoe workshops of Fiesso d’Artico, Italy, and designed as part of a never-ending quest for technical innovation. “Here, tradition is revealed through modernity; this commitment to excellence that is expressed through an absolute unders- tanding of leather, the full spectrum of techniques applied to the act of creation, from automated cutting to hand-finishing.” says Yves Carcelle, CEO, Louis Vuitton.

Pump in Patent Calf Leather, Open-toe Pump in Patent Calf Leather

The collection is fresh, ripe, and cool, bringing together all the iconic signs of the House in sunny splendour. Heart print is on summery flats, flip-flops find themselves in acid-toned leather with rope platform soles and a golden buckle. Wedge sneakers and riding boots embossed calfskin suede in sandy shades, exuding easy chic. Platform pumps are topped with a bow and take on summer’s textures of brightly coloured satin and rope. Derby shoes and loafers opt for sober tones, while patent leather pumps unabashedly dazzle in brilliant lemon and purple.

Wedge Sandal in Silk

Boot in Canvas and Suede Calf Leather, Wedge Sneaker in Canvas and Suede Calf Leather

As the evening wanes to the wee hours, the Parisian chooses the glamour of black and blue sequins or dizzying, gold-trimmed pumps, her favourite footwear of her nocturnal flights of fancy.

Open-toe Pump in Sequins, Strap Pump in Nubuck Calf Leather

Images via Louis Vuitton