Picture Perfect: Louis Vuitton Series 4 Featuring Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII

Louis Vuitton S/S 2016 collection is inspired by Japanese Anime culture so it totally makes sense to have an iconic video game character to star in the latest campaign. Recently, Nicolas Ghesquière, the creative director of Louis Vuitton, has released the first few images of the series 4 campaign and they feature Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII.

It's not the first time Lightning dresses in luxury brand's clothing (previously she was dressed in Prada S/S 2012 menswear) but this is her debut as the campaign face of a brand. The clothing fit the aesthetic of the character and I really like the animation. Overall, it is a very refreshing approach and I am hoping to see more interesting crossovers (anime x fashion, comics x fashion, cartoon x fashion) in the future. Also, this is a very smart move for the brand as cosplay people do have money to spend on clothes (trust me, I have witnessed this phenomenal myself).

What do you think?

Reality and fantasy become one : lightning a genuine heroine in the new @louisvuitton series 4 ad campaign

A video posted by 🆖 (@nicolasghesquiere) on Dec 25, 2015 at 1:38pm PST

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Dots[Connection]: It's a cartoon world!

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

Froston is back and she is bringing some of her favorite S/S 2015 iconic looks to Milan and Paris Fashion Week! I am loving all the looks as they fit her aesthetic perfectly! Which look is your favourite?  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Frostontina

Jeremy Scott presented the Moschino S/S 2016 collection during Milan Fashion Week and all eyes were on the Powerpuff Girls collaboration. Here, Didier decided to dress these 3 girls in some of the iconic outfits! They look nice! [Read Here]

Courtesy of Didier Young

Walk the Walk: Louis Vuitton S/S 2016 Menswear Collection

Kim Jones has been injecting new energy to the Louis Vuitton menswear ever since he was appointed as the menswear creative director of the fashion house. For the S/S 2016 season, he takes inspiration from the Southeast Asian culture.

The animal prints are very attractive this season, especially the cranes (which is inspired by the Japanese culture). One of the major highlights is the souvenir jackets as they are very sporty and elegant at the same time. Jones uses silk to create his own version of denim pieces and this is a very refreshing approach. Because of the use of silk and satin, the entire clothing collection gives off a light and airy vibe. Of course, Jones also created some amazing accessories for the men and I cannot stop loving the 3 stripes portfolio case.

Now that Jones has taken inspiration from Asia, I wonder which country or fairytale will inspire his next creation. Perhaps back to his own roots England?

Pros:
- The Southeast Asian culture reference is on point in this collection. Love the print and embroideries.
- The indigo silk denim is refreshing and unique. This could be a new trend!
- Always a fan of the LV accessories and my eyes are on the portfolio case right now
- Satin souvenir jacket is the IT piece next season. Make sure you get one!
- Props to Kim Jones for continue supporting the illustration world!

Eye Candies:
- Silk shirt with cranes print
- All satin souvenir jakets
- Indigo silk denim jacket
- Hand painted camo jacket

Please visit Style.com to view the complete collection.

Dots[Connection]: When Innocent Meets Darkness

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap! 

Camille created an illustration based on the Louis Vuitton S/S 2012 recently and this is probalby my favourite pieces from her to date! The girls look so whimsical and I cannot stop loving the detail of the illustration! It's perfect! [Read Here]

Courtesy of Camille Pfister 

Alexandre Desmidt has been on my radar for quite some time and this Dior F/W 2014 illustration is absolutely amazing! I love the dark vibe and how he uses one white thick line to outline the silhouette of the dress. I can't wait to see more works from him! [Read Here] 

Courtesy of Alexandre Desmidt 

Walk the Walk: Louis Vuitton F/W 2015 Menswear Collection

It's a rope affair!

Kim Jones presented the Louis Vuitton F/W 2015 menswear collection yesterday in Paris, and the designer has decided to pay tribute to Christopher Nemeth.  Jones went back to Nemeth archives and picked 4 original prints for the collection. I love how the prints are used on different garments such as the double breasted wool coat, turtleneck sweater, and duffle coat. Of course, since the fashion house is known for its leather goods,  this print is also incorporated into the Damier pattern to add a new touch to some of the bags.

Kim Jones' silhouette tends to suit the Asians a lot and this collection is no exception. Everything is sleek, sharp and without excessive materials. As a shoe lover, I am totally digging the boots.

This collection somehow reminds me of Marc Jacobs first used Stephen Sprouse's graphics on his designs. If the response is well received for this collection, I have a feeling Nemeth's rope prints will become the next iconic print for this fashion house.

Pros:
- Love the Christopher Nemeth rope print. It suits the aesthetic of the fashion house.
- I love the safety pints/ buttons brooch. Such a cool "DIY" idea.
- A big fan of the silhouette. So sleek and sharp.
- Love the new Damier Graphite x Christopher Nemeth collaboration. It's perfect!
- This collection has something for every Louis Vuitton fan. Great edit!

Eye Candies:
- Rope print duffle coat
- Paper print Nemth ropes jacket
- Damier Graphite x Christopher Nemeth duffle bag
- Love the safety pints/ buttons accessories
- The boots

Please visit Style.com to view the complete collection.

Picture Perfect: Louis Vuitton 2014 Gift Selection

Ever since I saw these 2 videos from Louis Vuitton, my head has been non-stop playing Frank Sinatra's The Way You Look Tonight.

The creative team behind this fashion house has once again created 2 very whimsical and fun videos to provide some gift suggestions for us. I love the flow of the videos and using Fran Sinatra's song is a good choice, as I always think his songs represent timeless classics.

Speaking of gifts, have you done all your holiday shopping yet?

Women's Gift Selection

Men's Gift Selection

Dots[Connection]: What's Your Story?

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

Antonio created this Givenchy F/W 2014 illustration some time ago, and at this moment, I still cannot get over how beautiful it is! I love the animated butterfly, as it gives life to the entire piece. No wonder even Riccardo Tisci is in love with it! [Read Here]

Courtesy of Antonio Soares

Amanda Lee created some beautiful fashion portraits based on the S/S 2015 runway shows back in September and early October, and this piece is based on the Louis Vuitton S/S 2015 runway show. I love the makeup and also the composition of the illustration. [Read Here]

Courtesy of Amanda Lee

Picture Perfect: Louis Vuitton F/W 2014 Campaign by Annie Leibovitz

For this season, Louis Vuitton has commissioned 3 high profile photographers to work on the campaign (Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Weber, and Juergen Teller). I feel this project is like a friendly competition, as everyone has his/her favourite mini series. For me, this is the winner.

This series is shot by Annie Leibovitz and features actress Charlotte Gainsbourg. I like the mood of these photos and the painter room setting reflects the artistic element of the brand in an indirect way. In general, this is the perfect campaign to represent this luxury brand.

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Dots[Connection]: The End. The Beginning.

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

Everything has an end, and here is the last illustration for the Marc Jacobs' LV Fantasy project. In here, Shamekh has picked the opening look of the S/S 2014 collection, and the background consists of all the iconic elements from the past shows. It's breathtaking and a good way to end this wonderful project! [Read Here]

Courtesy of Shamekh

Yana Protasova sent me her portfolio few days ago for review and I instantly fell in love with her F/W 2013 fashion illustrations. Her style is soft, and you can feel the strong feminine vibe through her works. You definitely need to have her on your radar! [Read Here]

Courtesy of Yana Protasova

Dots[Connection]: The Glamour

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

I cannot get enough of Mélique Street's works and this Louis Vuitton S/S 2014 illustration has really captured my heart. I like how she captured the collection vibe with just a few "simple" brush strokes. Flawless.  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Mélique Street

I have come across the portfolio of Marine Le Rouau lately and I find this Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2014 illustration to be very attractive. Simple line works, but the piece really shows the glamorous side of the Dolce & Gabbana girl.  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Marine Le Rouau 

Dots[Connection]: Mist & Butterflies

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap! 

The 3rd piece of my collaboration with Shamekh is finally here. For this illustration, the artist has included 2 of my favourite Louis Vuitton collections and used the iconic items from the runway shows as the backdrop. This is definitely a masterpiece! [Read Here]

Courtesy of Shamekh

JSK is on fire lately and his latest works have wowed me in many ways. For this piece, he created a special butterflies room to accommodate the Givenchy F/W 2014 Susu girls. The composition perfect and I would want this piece to hang in my room! [Read Here]

Courtesy of JSK 

Wave of Inspirology: Louis Vuitton - Emprise

Louis Vuitton has just released a new collection of watches and jewellery, and in order to promote it, the brand has commissioned Surface to Air Studio to create this stunning video campaign.

The short film is very surreal, as if there is no ending to it. The jewellery pieces in this video are stunning, especially the necklaces. To be very honest, I feel a little bit dizzy after watching it.

What do you think?

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Walk the Walk: Louis Vuitton F/W 2014 Collection

Today marked a brand new page for Louis Vuitton, as Nicolas Ghesquière debuted his first LV collection in Paris. The LV girls in the first chapter of this new era were bolder, edgier and more powerful. Ghesquière created many completely wearable pieces, with a nice twist. Some of the examples were the knit skirt with feather panels, and the asymmetrical leather/ tweed dress. Petite Malle bag was introduced in this show and it was a mini LV trunk.

As a first collection, Nicolas Ghesquière did a very good job on creating the new LV girl. I believe this was just a warm up for the designer. The best is yet to come.

Pros:
- This collection opens a brand new page for Louis Vuitton, as the aesthetic of this collection is very different from the Marc Jacobs' era. The LV girls are bolder, edgier and more powerful.
- The big pocket on the skirt is a very nice design
- There are a a lot of metal accents in this collection, which is one of Nicolas' design signatures.
- I quite like the Petite Malle bag. It's a fun accessory piece.
- The boots and belts will be something nice to have next season.
- So glad to see Freja Beha Erichsen back on the runway! You have no idea how much I missed her!

Cons:
- There are actually a lot of ideas going on in this collection, maybe this is just a way for the designer to show the audience what kind of energy he is planning to inject to this fashion label.

Eye Candies:
- Wide collar leather coat
- Sweater with patchwork
- Knit skirt with feather panels
- Floral dress
- The shoes

Please visit Style.com to view the complete collection.

Ray of Inspirology: Louis Vuitton - Spirit of Travel 2014

Louis Vuitton's Spirit of Travel series is one of the most interesting campaigns in the fashion world, and the latest installment is no exception.

For this season, Karen Elson and Edie Campell traveled to South Africa to spend some time with the wild animals. Shot by Peter Lindbergh and styled by Carine Roitfeld, both models looked super stylish in the field carrying the signature Louis Vuitton monogram bags.

This campaign proves the label continues wanting you to be adventurous, and to me, hanging out with the giraffes in an open field could be a very good idea in the future.

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Dots[Connection]: Marc's World

Here's your weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

The 2nd piece of Marc Jacobs’ LV Fantasy series is finally here! This time, Shamekh has combined the Spring 2013 collection with the Fall 2013 collection. In my opinion, this is a perfect match! [Read Here]

Courtesy of Shamekh

I am in love Marc Jacob's F/W 2014 runway show and my friend JSK has decided to create 2 illustrations based on it. The illustrations are so fairy-tale like and I would love to know where the Susu Girls are heading to!   [Read Here]

Courtesy of JSK 

Dots[Connection]: The Urban Tribes

Here is the final 2013 weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

Renz Reyes has created a very interesting illustration series recently. In here, he combines some of his favourite fashion garments (past and present) and illustrates them in a look book setting. I really enjoy what I see here and can't wait to see more from him!  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Renz Reyes

Artaksiniya has surprised me with this lovely Louis Vuitton S/S 2014 illustration. The vibe of this piece is more urban than the runway show, and this adds a new prospective to the collection.  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Artaksiniya

Remember, you still have roughly one week to submit your Italian Divas illustration. The contest will close soon and you can visit this link for more information. Cash prize is waiting for you!

Happy New Year!

Ray of Inspirology: Louis Vuitton S/S 2014 Campaign

The S/S 2014 Louis Vuitton campaign has surfaced on the internet and this is probably the sweetest ending to end the Marc Jacobs' era.

Edie Campbell

The photos are shot by Steven Meisel and these ladies are the past muses of Marc Jacobs when he was the creative director of the brand. Everyone looks very regal and the dark background creates a very heavy mood, which you can associate the term "lights out" with these images.

I have a very bittersweet feeling after looking at this campaign. I am excited to see what Marc Jacobs will do in the future with his own namesake brand.

Caroline de Maigret

Catherine Deneuve

Fan Bingbing

 Gisele Bündchen

Sofia Coppola

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton 

Dots[Connection]: The Living Legends

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

Starting this month, I am collaborating with Shamekh on an amazing illustration project. We are going to look back to the Marc Jacobs' Louis Vuitton era and combine two collections in each illustration piece. Here is the first one. [Read Here]

Courtesy of Shamekh

Do you know the everyday life of Karl Lagerfeld? If so, then you are going to love this illustration series by Natasha Shaloshvili! The images are very playful and I must admit, Choupette is too adorable here.  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Natasha Shaloshvili

Wave of Inspirology: Back to the Future

I always find it interesting that there is actually a strange connection between video games and fashion (Remember the collaboration between Prada and Final Fantasy?). The video below is just another good example to prove my point.

To promote the latest iPhone, iPad and iPad mini cases, Louis Vuitton has produced a fun video featuring some of the iconic arcade games. I like how the cases are transformed into the titles of Tetris, the monsters in Space Invaders, and the bricks in Breakout.

As a gaming fan, I just can't help but to watch this video over and over again.

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton 

Dots[Connection]: Fantasy Time!

It's time for your weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

The princesses from the Adventure Time are huge in the fashion illustration world because many illustrators are trying to dress them up in high fashion pieces. Here is one of them I found on Maelle's latest collaboration site, Confetti. [Read Here]

Courtesy of Maelle Rajoelisolo

Kitty Wong is one of my latest discoveries and recently she has published a series on Dazed Digital. I like the images a lot because each one actually has a story line attached to it. Can't wait to see this talent shines in the international fashion illustration scene!  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Kitty Wong