Marc Jacobs scored big when he assembled models Christy Turlington, Karen Elson and Natalia Vodianova for Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2010 ad campaign.  The ladies look lovely as they groom themselves in a dressing room full of make-up mirrors with lights.  That lighting is usually a recipe for bad make-up application, but not here.  In addition to mirrors, there are plenty of Vuitton shoes and bags scattered throughout the room.  Let’s not forget that the models are perfectly dressed in the fall 2010 collection.  Steven Meisel captured the updated 1950′s vibe that Jacobs delivered in his collection.

Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2010 runway show was a reunion of the supermodels in Paris.  Laetitia Casta, Bar Refaeli, Adriana Lima and Elle Macpherson walked the runway, and they looked fantastic.  Curves were in fashion this season in Paris.  These clothes were made to fit the bodies of real women; they had a grown-up femininity about them, nothing girlish.  We could have been transported back into the 1950′s with the longer hemlines, beautiful coats and elbow length gloves.  Yes, the 1950′s in Paris or was it Italy?  The fountain in the middle of the runway was the perfect backdrop.  Romance was in the air, and in the pieces.  Lovely plaids and prints were in abundance in fall colors.  The music was dramatic, and the scene cinematic; we were at the movies.  It was not all about the supermodels and scenery though, nothing could take away from those gorgeous shoes and bags.  The accessories were befitting of the Vuitton name.  Flats played a large role in the show, and the collection still managed to maintain its sensuality.  The bags were the jewels displayed in all their majesty, and they will be the best friends to every Louis Vuitton woman in the fall. 

Lara Stone heats up Versace’s ad campaign for Versus this spring.  The design house remains true to its nature with this sensual commercial for its fragrance.  Lara has already worked with Givenchy, Calvin Klein, and she recently replaced Madonna at Louis Vuitton.  She is a model in demand, and from the looks of this ad it will stay that way.  So we have selected Lara Stone for our Rollcall list this week.

Marc Jacobs is very pleased with the selection of model Lara Stone for the new Louis Vuitton ad campaign.  The designer gives us a behind the scenes look at the photo shoot where Steven Meisel shot the Spring/Summer 2010 ad with the model.  Lara replaced Madonna, and all indications are she was the perfect choice.  She epitomizes the curvey and glamourous sought-after look of the new decade.  Arguably she ushered in the look, and we were all entranced.  The theme of the ad is natural and tranquil and it works well against the glamour and luxury of  the model and her Vuitton.  The goal of these campaigns is to entice women to aspire to be like the model and shop Louis Vuitton.  I would say that mission was accomplished.

Louis Vuitton enlisted model Lara Stone for its Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaign, she replaces Madonna from the previous campaign.  The luxury brand selected the model of the moment mainly because of her broad appeal.   They likely selected Madonna for their Spring/Summer 2009 ad campaign because of the singer/actress’ iconic pop-culture status.  Of course image is everything, and there is no denying that both Lara Stone and Madonna look the part.  They symbolize luxury, and if you want to have that same effect, you will have to step it up a notch, says an MIT study.  Researchers concluded that your designer handbag would likely pass the visual authentication test if your personal appearance says that you have money.  Wearing luxury apparel and/or being in attendance at certain social functions would lead others to believe your bag was authentic.  So the next time you venture out the house with your bag, will you take a second and third look at your attire because people are judging?  Or will you dare to make your own rules, and break them at your whim?  I don’t know about you, but the latter sounds far more intriguing.  Besides, isn’t that why Louis Vuitton selected Madonna and now Lara Stone as the face of Louis Vuitton in the first place.  Fearlessness is sexy and it sells.

Fake Louis Vuitton Bags Look Fake Without a Tony Aura [Bloomberg]

Alexander McQueen Spring 2010

Luxury brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Givenchy have not embraced the idea of selling their apparel online.  Marc Jacobs is an American designer, and he is also the creative director of Louis Vuitton.  There appears to be a  divide betweeen U.S. high-end retailers and European retailers; the U.S. companies are far more open to e-commerce.   

European retailers are hesitant to take advantage of the online retail market amid concerns about brand exclusivity and brand dilution.  They are concerned about a deterioration in customer service online as well.  Some retail consultants argue that the ease and convenience of ordering online is really what quality service is all about. 

Many of these brands have certain exceptions like, U.K. based Alexander McQueen.  His website sells everything to his U.S. customers only.  Yves Saint Laurent will only allow accessories to be sold online to its U.S. customers.  Chanel sells its beauty products, and Louis Vuitton sells  leather goods and accessories, but neither will go beyond those specified items.

Luxury brands are not as averse to the Internet as before, many have ventured into the online social networking arena.  It’s a great way to connect with customers in an attempt to better address their needs.  Twitter, Facebook and other sites provide real-time feedback that, if used correctly, can be invaluable to these companies.

“More than 50% of the population has grown up with shopping on the Internet. It continues to be the biggest growth opportunity for fashion, and luxury in particular. They’re not going to see the same level of growth in traditional outlets,” says chief retail analyst Marshal Cohen.  Maybe the question to ask is, can luxury retail continue to shun e-commerce without serious financial implications?

Online Luxury Retail Remains Elusive [BusinessWeek]

It was a tale of two Paris, and now that the shows are over, fashion critics and journalist are asking, ‘does sex sell’?  The easy answer is a resounding, ‘yes’, but it’s a little more complicated than that.  Sex does sell, but who’s buying it?  There were some very sexy collections in Paris this season, but the shows that gripped the fashion world most were the ones where we were offered innovation and fully clothed models.  Of course Alexander McQueen’s show comes to mind with a look to the future, so does Louis Vuitton.  Both streamed their shows live and opened up this seemingly secret world to everyone.  Karl Lagerfeld even got Chanel into the act with a theme of farm and hay as the backdrop against the refined and polished looks of that house.  Contrasting the collection with the scenery made the clothes pop out.  The sexier collections used the clothes to do what McQueen and Vuitton used technology to do, get us talking.  Let’s face it, one of the purposes for the fashion weeks is to generate buzz.  Did this strategy work?  Maybe the sexier houses were betting that women wanted a change; that gamble would not have been too far fetched, but was translucent clothing the solution?  Dior and Giles Deacon took a calculated risk, but only time and sales will tell the full story.  For now, the strategy has proved itself effective because we are still talking about them.

At Paris Shows, Designers Hope That Sexy Sells [WSJ]

What Professional Woman Wants to Wear Lingerie As Clothing? [The Cut]

Marc Jacob does it again for Louis Vuitton.  He designed pieces that every Vuitton girl will covet.  Separates ruled this runway.  There were tons of shorts and mini skirts in various lengths to match a girl’s mood.  The collection was a mix of lilac, lavendar and coral with the neutral gray, eggplant and black.  Of course he understands that’s how women want to dress; we want the balance of brights with earthy colors.  All those colors were accompanied by sufficient sparkle to enhance the Vuitton girl’s shine upon entrance in a room.  Oh, and did I mention the accessories.  They deserve a separate blog post all of their own.  The bags were scrumptious and the shoes, yummy.  To sum up Louis Vuitton spring 2010 runway this season, it was a sea of afros and must have pieces along side fabulous accessories.  Click here to view the video on Facebook or view the video below and see for yourself.