Conceived by Pharrell Williams, creative director of the men’s line, Louis Vuitton’s ads featuring Rihanna showcase new versions of the Speedy bag.
Louis Vuitton has launched the complete advertising campaign starring Rihanna to unveil the vision of Pharrell Williams, their new creative director for men.
The brand had teased the campaign last week with a large billboard on the side of the Musée d’Orsay, just before Williams’ show in Paris, which was attended by Rihanna and her musician husband A$AP Rocky.
Vuitton described the advertising images as artifacts “created to alter perceptions, challenge history, and evolve an existing legacy. Embodied by a pregnant Rihanna, a symbol of human empowerment and an everyday icon par excellence, the men’s campaign reflects the recontextualization at the core of Pharrell Williams’ approach to the maison.”
Though that sounds grandiose, the campaign essentially puts the Speedy bag redesigned by Williams at the forefront, like Rihanna’s pregnancy belly.
According to Vuitton, the classic Speedy was one of the first bags owned by the singer “Happy.” The travel bag was created by Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the founder’s grandson, in 1930.
Williams’ version is “influenced by the cosmopolitan core” that inspired his “early luxury education: Canal Street in downtown Manhattan, New York; a cultural axis energized by diverse energy and a hardworking mentality that resonates on the corresponding streets of world metropolises.”
“The new Speedy evokes, through the maison’s inimitable savoir-faire, a visual language evocative of the codes and stylistic attitude of Canal Street. It is an everyday icon conceived for every lifestyle,” Vuitton added in a statement. (For years, Canal Street has been synonymous with counterfeit luxury goods.)
The new Speedy retains its trapezoidal lines but is now crafted from grained and supple calf leather. “The softened construction allows the bag’s base to collapse and shift in the way it would with daily use and gestures,” according to Vuitton. “The screen-printed Monogram induces a blurry, craft-like, and almost hand-painted effect, rendered in various colors.”
Rihanna, the new Speedy, and other Vuitton products designed by Williams were photographed by Keizo Kitajima and Martine Syms in a studio.
Longtime collaborators Cynthia Lu and Matthew Henson styled the ads, which will appear across Vuitton’s digital channels.
Rihanna also appears in a short video, carrying colorful bags through city streets at dusk while juggling a paper cup of coffee.
Williams further promoted his version of the Speedy by bringing the iconic accessory to the numerous fashion shows he attended during Paris Men’s Fashion Week, including Junya Watanabe, Kenzo, Dior, and Loewe.
Vuitton launched the Speedy in Monogram canvas in 1959, and it became popular among celebrities. In 1965, Audrey Hepburn requested the house to create a smaller version to match her petite figure. Since then, it has been interpreted in multiple ways and has served as a canvas for artistic collaborations with artists such as Stephen Sprouse and Yayoi Kusama.
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