Peggy Gou shares her love of music and shoes with Louis Vuitton. Image credit: Louis Vuitton
French fashion house Louis Vuitton is again flirting with youth culture by enlisting South Korean disc jockey and influencer Peggy Gou to model shoes for its autumn/winter 2020 collection.
In a series of still shots and a brief video, Ms. Gou adds an aura of ethereal twentysomething hipness to the campaign as she takes her audience on a bicycle tour of Berlin where she lives, clad in Louis Vuitton apparel and footwear. This is her second appearance in a campaign for the fashion label.
“Having DJ/producer Peggy Gou showcase that there is a shoe for every mood, that the iconic print can be on a stunning silk shirt, a face mask and even on a portion of the shoe — shows the longevity of the brand,” Kimmie Smith, cofounder of Athleisure Mag, New York said. “The fact that she wore elements of evening wear in the day time and we were transported to a record store that became her set, lets the viewer know that LV is your way — whatever way that is.”
LV's appeal for all ages
Ms. Gou’s appearance casts light on the fact that Louis Vuitton is a brand that is multigenerational in scope and boasts an array of apparel and footwear in classic, modern or edgy styles.
“The way that the brand can take its iconic prints and play with their placement on a shoe or an outfit makes it completely different,” Ms. Smith said.
Titled “A Mile in Peggy Gou’s Shoes,” the short offers a casual look at Ms. Gou’s routine in Berlin, opening with shots of her modern apartment and then following her as she takes a tour of her hometown on a red LV-marked bicycle.
Peggy Gou shows a glimpse of life in Berlin in the short
In the footage, Ms. Gou changes her shoes constantly. She comes across as a relaxed and fun personality, who lends authenticity to the LV brand and is as comfortable in a pair of LV Silhouette ankle boots as she is in the brand’s Paseo mules.
“The shoes are like the bass of a song,” she says as her techno recording “Han Pan” plays in the background. “Without it, you’re not going very far.”
Coming across as an everywoman, she flounces around her chic apartment, chatting with friends on the phone and arranging a livestreaming event.
As she orchestrates the practicalities of her existence, she offers a few sage words.
“I know the right song can change the energy completely,” she says. “Mood is everything.”
After leaving her flat, she picks up a bicycle with a LV logo and tools around somewhat aimlessly before heading to a juice bar for a ginger shot.
“I have to stop when something catches my attention,” she said. “There’s nothing more important in life than appreciating the world around you.”
Once her thirst is quenched, she pivots towards a record store.
“I have a soundtrack all the time in my head,” Ms. Gou says. “After all these months of stillness, I’m excited to get out there and try new things out.”
Her carefree nature is contagious and she is soon bopping in the corner of the record store to vinyl being played on a turntable.
Matador ankle boots retail for $2,050. Image credit: Louis Vuitton
In a dreamlike twist, the lights go down and it is as if she is holding a nighttime DJ session in the corner, complete with a LV face mask. The focus of the scene is her shoes, and she switches from Metropolis Rangers to Silhouette ankle boots to Matador boots with ease as she rocks.
Suddenly, a loud clash is heard and she stops her DJ act and returns to browsing around the record store.
“This ad was shot in a casual way and reflects that,” Ms. Smith said. “People are still going out and enjoying a ginger shot, listening to music and thinking about the next livestream concert.
Just 29, Ms. Goh first partnered with Louis Vuitton last year for its “Les Voyages” travel series. In the first episode, she shared Korean phrases and tips useful for getting around Seoul.
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The DJ and record producer has also deepened her ties to Louis Vuitton after launching her own fashion label KIRIN, giraffe in Korean, in 2019 with the help of Virgil Abloh, the brand’s artistic director for its menswear collection.
Youthful connections
The French label seems to be on a quest to cultivate younger customers by organizing collaborations with youthful influencers and actors via capsule collections and short-form films.
To promote a selection of its newest Capucines bags, for instance, Louis Vuitton collaborated with Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark to exemplify the bags’ new styles. The epitome of French chic, the film and geometric architecture of the bags embody the brand’s savoir-faire (see story).
French actor Stacy Martin also recently spent the day with master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud at Louis Vuitton’s fragrance atelier, Les Fontaines Parfumées, in the south of France. After exploring the estate’s gardens and learning new ways to apply perfume, the actress learned how to create her own custom composition using some of the best natural raw materials (see story).
There is a joie de vivre emanating from its most recent campaigns that serves the brand well.
“Louis Vuitton is simply showing life as a moment in time without glamorizing it and how luxury is still there even in the most mundane of tasks,” Ms. Smith said.