Louis Vuitton has cleverly brought the worlds of high-end fashion and video gaming together in their Spring/Summer 2016 'Series 4' campaign, which stars the pink-haired character, Lightning, from cult Japanese video game 'Final Fantasy'. Louis Vuitton's creative director, Nicolas Ghesquiere, teamed up with Japanese video game developer Square Enix and their artist Tetsuya Nomura to create Lightning's first foray into the world of fashion.
In an interview (yes, apparently she has a mind of her own) with The Telegraph, Lightning had this to say about her new role: '[Before,] my clothes were nothing more than armour to stay alive; “dressing up” was a concept I’ve never had. Perhaps that makes me an unseemly choice as ambassador. But this experience has opened my eyes. Fashion isn’t something you’re taught or given, it comes from your own taste and your own choices. It displays the essence of who you are to the people around you.'
Ghesquiere, in turn, described her as 'the perfect avatar for a global, heroic woman and for a world where social networks and communications are now seamlessly woven into our life'.
We're not entirely sure whether Louis Vuitton and 'Final Fantasy' fans share the same tastes, but one YouTube commentator pointed out that '"Final Fantasy" characters are made with a perfect blend of elegance, charm and beauty, rendered on realism'. Another called Lightning 'Goddess of Death. Queen of Fashion'. So it's likely Louis Vuitton will attract at least a few otaku customers this season.