Louis Vuitton’s new Series 4 is pushing the boundaries of the fashion world in ways you wouldn’t think. Sure, they have yet to breach the plus-sized model, but their Spring-Summer ’16 campaign, Series 4, features a video game character and a boy in a skirt. Although they aren’t the first to do either, having everything in one seems to make more of an impact.
Devoted to the youth, the fashion house’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière has casted well for his digital and manga-inspired collection, featuring Korean actress Doona Bae, “Final Fantasy” heroine Lightning, 17-year-old rapper and actor Jaden Smith, and a trio of young models: Sarah Brannon, Rianne Van Rompaey and Jean Campbell.
Final Fantasy you say? Yup:
Lightning is the perfect avatar for a global, heroic woman and for a world where social networks and communications are now seamlessly woven into our life.
The game’s creators even coaxed a quote from the fantasy figure:
My clothes were nothing more than armor to stay alive; ‘dressing up’ was a concept I’ve never had. Perhaps that makes me an unseemly choice as ambassador. But this experience has opened my eyes. Fashion isn’t something you’re taught or given; it comes from your own taste and your own choices. It displays the essence of who you are to those around you. It makes me feel excited, a feeling similar to when I venture to unknown lands.
Ghesquière then chose a trio of female models and threw Jaden Smith into the mix:
Smith 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.
On Bae, Ghesquière chose her for her ability to transform characters:
I am fascinated by her gift for transformation, and I had her image very much in mind as I was creating this collection.
[source: wwd]
