louis vuitton

Louis Vuitton campaign featuring Bono and Ali Hewson

September 2010: Ali Hewson and U2-vocalist Bono – founders of Edun – are the latest modern icons to be photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Louis Vuitton’s Core Values advertising campaign, shot in Africa in March of this year. Antoine Arnault, Head of Communications at Louis Vuitton, comments: “We are delighted that both Ali and Bono, who have never before participated in an advertising campaign, agreed to be photographed for Core Values. We are very proud of our association with Edun.” The image, portraying Ali and Bono walking in a vast landscape, reflects the couple’s long relationship with Africa. Both are long-term campaigners in the fight against extreme poverty and in 2005 they founded the ethical clothing label Edun to encourage trade with Africa and to highlight the possibilities for the fashion community to do business there.

In 2009, LVMH, in line with its long-standing commitment to sustainable development, acquired a 49% stake in Edun in order to promote more widely the brand’s positive vision of responsible trade.

For the Core Values campaign, both Ali and Bono wear Edun clothing. Ali carries a Louis Vuitton/Edun collaboration bag. This collaboration bag is brown Keepall 45 in Louis Vuitton’s embossed Monogram Révélation leather. The bag is accessorized with a Monogram charm hand-crafted in Kenya by Made, a fair-trade fashion accessory company which strives to provide employment and promote ethical trade in Africa. Made regularly partners with Edun. Both the charm and the inside of the Monogram Révélation bag bear a plaque with the inscription “Every journey began in Africa.” Along with his guitar case, Bono carries a waterproof Keepall travel bag in Monogram canvas.

Proceeds from the sale of the Louis Vuitton/Edun collaborative bag will go to Technoserve in Africa for the Conservation Cotton Initiative and related programs. Ali and Bono’s fee for the shoot will go to both Technoserve in Africa for the Conservation Cotton Initiative and related programs and to Chernobyl Children International.

Edun founder, Ali Hewson says, “We want Edun to be a success because the more it grows, the more we can do on the ground.”

U2-vocalist and activist Bono says “Ali has worked hard to build Edun from scratch, and thanks to LVMH’s commercial muscle and support, this fledgling company can go from strength to strength - which means increased business for our partners in developing countries.”

The new Core Values visual will appear in the October 2010 issues of international titles.

Pics from the making-of:

source:  Naama Stern-Arieli, PR

xoxo,

Hilla Ohayon.