Madonna Models for Marc

The one and only Madonna can now be added to the long list of celebrities who’ve posed for Louis Vuitton campaigns. Marc Jacobs seems to be the only designer that can lure anyone from Sean Connery to Pharrell Williams, Keith Richards to Mikhail Gorbachev to pose for his collections.

Jacobs decided to go with Madonna for Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer ’09 campaign after seeing one of her concerts in Paris, saying he was “totally just blown away by it, and moved by her performance, by what she had to say, and her energy”. After the concert Jacobs merely texted Madonna asking her to do the campaign and within five minutes she texted back “I’d love to”.

"I wanted the campaign to be very bold, very sensual and very atmospheric. To carry off all these references and all this sophistication, we needed the ultimate performer - and for me, that is Madonna". According to Jacobs, Madonna is the embodiment of what Louis Vuitton is all about; “She’s so sure of herself as an icon and as a woman...What fascinates me the most about her is her never-ending energy, and the idea of becoming and changing. She’s an artist who’s unafraid to use her voice”.

The photographs show a very flexible Madonna in a smoky French-style brasserie. “As cliché as they are, I love all these French references,” the designer confesses. However, the ad was shot a long way from the city of lights or the French countryside. The setting was the restaurant Figaro, on North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles.

The collection showcases a mix of African and Parisian influences. The African influence is seen in the heavy tribal jewellery and accessories. The French influence is a throwback to the 1940’s flapper with the shoes and skirts emblazoned with fringe and feathers. The ad also shows off the new LV Kalahari bags in monogram canvas and monogram-embossed leather.

Famed photographer Steven Meisel was behind the lens to capture the six-photo series collection, but it was not his first time working with Madonna or Jacobs. Meisel was the photographer behind Madonna’s controversial 1992 “Sex” book. Meisel had previously worked with Jacobs while the designer was working for Perry Ellis. This campaign ends Louis Vuitton’s six year collaboration with photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. A LV spokesperson insists the split was amicable. It is speculated that this is just the first of many collaborations Meisel will have with Vuitton.

Canadian’s should be thankful for Meisel’s magnificent eye. He is credited with discovering and promoting Canada’s own Coco Rocha and Jessica Stam by featuring them in Italian Vogue and other various campaigns.

Antoine Arnault, Vuitton’s director of communications, said the campaign will show “very strongly” in February and March issues. These ads are just a tiny preview of what’s to come. In the mean time Louis Vuitton will continue to run their “Core Values” ads featuring Sean Connery into next year. It is speculated that Louis Vuitton spends more than $250 million annually on advertising, most of it print based.











Writer: Kate Murphy