Play the fashion game: how brands like Louis Vuitton are crossing over to the virtual world
Three weeks ago Nicholas Ghesquière, creative director of Louis Vuitton, revealed the brand’s new campaign on his Instagram account.
Instead of previous starlets such as Michelle Williams or current favourite Alicia Vikander, Ghesquière chose pink-haired, sword-wielding Lightning and posted a video of her twisting, leaping and punching, all while decked out in his spring/summer 2016 collection.
It was to be expected that he would throw the fashion world a curveball, and he did: Lightning is cool, athletic and tough. She’s also completely fictional.
A recurring character in the Final Fantasy video game series, she was originally created to be a strong female protagonist in the game, designed to be independent and kind of moody with slick combat skills. She’s basically a total badass. So who better to front a campaign for a creative director who has made cool intellectual women his signature inspiration?
Jenny Richards, CEO of Women in Games, believes the collaboration makes sense now that 52 per cent of gamers are women. She says: “One of the most famous fashion brands in the world choosing a female game character is fantastic news — good for them for having the imagination to do it. Final Fantasy is a franchise that’s been around for many years and it’s famed for its layers of sophistication. And I think it’s really acceptable now to have females be lead characters in games.”
It’s the latest example of a long-running Louis Vuitton theme. At Paris Fashion Week in October its catwalk was set against a multi-sensory backdrop of video screens referencing Minecraft, while the soundtrack included a voiceover from Jeff Bridges in Tron and “cyberpunk” models strutted down the runway. The show notes read: “The vocabulary of virtual worlds beckons us to initiate a quest, a maiden voyage, a heroic journey in which the protagonist gains strength, wisdom and character every step of the way.”
The SS16 collection was reportedly inspired by Ghesquière’s love of all things futuristic and his appreciation of the heroines of the digital world.
If fashion is an escape from reality, then it seems a natural bedfellow to the world of fantasy gaming, where anything is possible. The new campaign images have been created by Final Fantasy designer Tetsuya Nomura — but Lightning isn’t just a silent participant.
Square Enix, the developer behind the game, and Louis Vuitton have released an interview with her in which the new star says: “It makes me feel excited, a feeling similar to when I venture to unknown lands. It is a thrill that I, who has faced my share of danger, have never experienced before. LV is a new adventure — a new fantasy — that I will enjoy from the bottom of my heart.”
Lightning is incredibly on-message for a first time spokeswoman, which is almost certainly in-keeping with her character development and nothing to with the fact that her employers can literally put words in her mouth.
And it’s not just Ghesquière having virtual reality visions. Last month Jeremy Scott at Moschino revealed a Super Mario Bros-themed capsule collection featuring T-shirts, sweatshirts and accessories emblazoned with the tenacious little Italian plumber.
Scott is known for featuring pop culture icons and cartoons in his collections but the Super Moschino line demonstrates that even the most unlikely of video games has a place in a high fashion industry that is not always taking itself super seriously.
Casting choices have become big news in the past few years with brands making social and cultural statements by looking beyond the norm, experimenting with age and body size, aiming for more racial diversity and using transgender models. Ghesquière’s stamp of cool is significant for the world of gaming: it places it front and centre of the design industry.
Amongst more serious gamers, Lightning’s casting caused a stir. Emma Boyle, games writer at Gadgette.com described it as “a cross between amusement and bemusement”.
She says: “Aesthetically, I can see the mix of fantasy and futurism you often see in gaming worlds offering no shortage of inspiration. Lightning is one of those characters that divides opinion — some people think she’s great and strong, some people hate her for being ‘cold’ and think she’s over-exposed.”
It sounds like she has the perfect It Girl vibe down already.
ArticleHow brands like Louis Vuitton are crossing over to the virtual worldLouis VuittonFashionVideo GamesThink console stars and catwalk clothes are unlikely bedfellows? Brands such as Louis Vuitton beg to differ, says Rachael Sigee
Play the fashion game: how brands like Louis Vuitton are crossing over to the virtual worldPublishedImageMedium width3Thursday, January 21, 2016 - 17:42Louis VuittonOn