The upcoming celebrity designer auction is just the start of Louis Vuitton's fundraising commitment to the American Red Cross. The luxury design house will donate 10% of this month's online sales of selected bags to the charity.

The fundraising drive commemorates the 150th anniversary of Louis Vuitton's Asnieres workshop. This location was the label's only production facility from 1859 to 1977. So many years later, Louis Vuitton's hard-frame luggage, special orders, exotic purses, and limited-edition lines are still crafted there today.

Donating to American Red Cross was a simple choice for the company's North American president, Daniel Lalonde.

"The Red Cross is committed to preventing and appeasing the sufferance of people weakened by instability and ever-growing de-humanization of our society. Louis Vuitton is honored to be aligned with such a significant and impactful organization," he said.

Bag lovers can do their bit by snapping up the brand's iconic Keepall, Speedy, Noe, or Alma purses. If you have ever considered buying one of these timeless styles, now's the time to do it!

[Source: Purse Page]
[Image Source: Hirski/Wikipedia Commons]

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Famed fashion photographer Annie Leibovitz is stepping out from behind the lens for a new project. After years of capturing images for photo shoots and a recently publicized financial woes involving a Supreme Court lawsuit, Leibovitz is trying her hand at a different kind of fashion career: designing handbags.

The photographer, whose work with Vanity Fair and labels like Dior and Louis Vuitton is well-known, has joined British artist Damien Hirst, Marc Jacobs, and others for a special design project to create limited edition Louis Vuitton bags. Their designs will be auctioned off at Sotheby's in London on November 17. It's not for fame or fortune, however, since the auction will benefit the Red Cross in celebration of their 150th anniversary.

Leibovitz's design is a large monogrammed backpack trimmed in black leather with a matching shoulder bag. A photography equipment-holding backpack isn't exactly Louis Vuitton's typical product, but something tells me that no one is questioning the photographer-turned-designer's talent.

See more of these artist-designed Louis Vuitton bags and trunks at Fashionphile's website.

[Source: Grazia Daily]
[Image: fashionphile]

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Stunning French actress Marion Cotillard made such a splash in Christian Dior's Lady Dior spring advertisements, she's back again for fall.

This time around the glamorous globetrotter has left Paris for another fashion capital: New York. Iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz captured this image of Marion and a slouchy Lady Dior quilted purse. Marion's face is the mirror seems to suggest that double life we saw in Christian Dior's short film, The Lady Noire Affair.

These ads will grace fashion mags in August before being plastered about Paris during October's Fashion Week. The exposure's sure to be massive, which makes me long for something a little more striking.

The Paris ads, with Marion perched atop the Eiffel Tower, were so dramatic. This time around Marion and the Christian Dior handbag are equally gorgeous, yet the ad itself still looks a little pedestrian in comparison!

Thankfully it's only the first commercial in the series, so I'm hoping for something better to come.

[Source: Fab Sugar]

Christian Dior Lady Dior Bags

The rumors of astronauts in a Louis Vuitton ad have come true. Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, and Sally Ride are all featured in the newest ad for the brand.

Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz recently shot the campaign amidst the backdrop of the warm Californian desert. The three space travelers posed with an old pick-up truck and, of course, a Louis Vuitton handbag, the Icare travel bag.

The ad campaign's release coincides with the 40th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 mission, which was the first manned mission to land on the moon and Buzz Aldrin's major claim to fame. It has been reported that all three astronauts donated a "significant" amount of their compensation for the campaign directly to Al Gore's Climate Project.

Click here to see a video honoring the astronauts and featuring the ad campaign.

[Source: Luxist]

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Art and fashion have always gone hand in hand, but few luxury labels can boast the artistic partnerships of Louis Vuitton. Now a new book, Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion, and Architecture, will celebrate the marriage between the French fashion house and the world's most influential artists.

The hardcover anthology details collaborations with elite artists, architects, designers, and photographers. They include the graffiti and rose collections of Stephen Sprouse, the joke bags from Richard Prince, and the colorful Japanese purses of Takashi Murakami. Long time photographic collaborations with Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin and Annie Leibovitz are also celebrated.

Along with plenty of full color photographs, this gorgeous coffee table book features critical essays examining Louis Vuitton's artistic development under the guidance of creative director Marc Jacobs.

Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture will retail for $85.00 from September 2009. It is currently available for preorder through Amazon.

[Source: View on Fashion]
[Image Source: Amazon]

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Models or actresses in a fashion ad? That's so last year. Well, maybe not since many brands are hiring some of the industry's best, but I wonder if that's what the marketing crew at Louis Vuitton was thinking when they cast famed astronaut Buzz Aldrin in their latest advertising campaign.

The rumor is that the second-ever moonwalker will appear with his space exploring colleagues Jim Lovell and Sally Ride. Aldrin apparently confirmed his involvement in the upcoming ads while at a recent social affair for Omega in Switzerland.

Of course, even Louis Vuitton can't book the moon's surface for their photo shoot (though I wouldn't put it past them to try). Where does one go to mimic the moon? I guess a desert will have to suffice. As one source confirmed, Aldrin and the cast will be photographed for the campaign by the legendary Annie Leibovitz in a desert somewhere in the U.S.

One thing is sure. With an unexpected, all-star cast such as this combined with the talent of Annie Leibovitz, I'm expecting some stunning photos.

[Source: WWD]
[Image: insidetwit/Flickr]

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It seems the rumors were true: Sean Connery is the new face of Louis Vuitton's Core Values advertising campaign.

Everyone's favorite James Bond posed for famed photographer Annie Leibovitz on a dock near his Bahamas residence. Aren't we all just a little bit jealous that he lives there? He might be 78 years old, but Sean still looks casually cool in his three-quarter pants and Bermuda hat.

Sean shares the spotlight with a traditionally monogrammed Louis Vuitton Keepall bag. It's a classic, just like the film icon himself. It's also waterproof, which makes it the perfect choice for this tropical image!

Sean Connery is the latest in a long line of celebrities starring in the Louis Vuitton Core Values commercials. They include rocker Keith Richards, French screen siren Catherine Deneuve, dynamic film daddy-daughter team Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola, and sport glamor couple Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.

The Sean Connery Core Values ad is slated for publication later this month.

[Source: Celebrity Nation]

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Could Sean Connery be the new face of Louis Vuitton? That's the rumor doing the rounds, and it's not as far-fetched as you might think.

Sure, Sean's getting a little long in the tooth for modeling these days, but he's the perfect candidate for Louis Vuitton's "Core Values" campaign. After all, the advertisements center around personal journeys and self discovery. Few people have lived a life as interesting as the iconic Scottish actor! And is anyone cooler than everyone's favorite James Bond?

If he is the next Core Values model, Sean would join such luminaries as Mikhail Gorbachev, tennis glamour couple Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, cinematic icon Catherine Deneuve, and the most recent faces of Francis Ford Coppola and his director daughter Sofie.

We won't have to wait too long to see whether the rumors are true. Apparently Sean has already posed for the commercials with the acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz and they're set to print in November.

[Source: StyleByMe/net]
[Image Source: Potatojunkie/Flickr]

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