Launching a new campaign titled the “Spirit of Travel”, Louis Vuitton features wild animals alongside high fashion with these advertisements shot by Peter Lindbergh.  British models Karen Elson and fellow English rose Edie Campbell (who also appears in Louis Vuitton’s spring ads) pose in South Africa for a series of sunny images.

The new “Spirit of Travel” spots, slated to break in an array of April magazines starting with Vanity Fair in the U.S., exalt the French brand’s travel heritage and reprise a tag line from historic Vuitton campaigns by Jean Larivière, which spanned more than 17 countries from Greenland to Yemen over the 30-year collaboration.    “It’s a mix of travel and the fashion world,” said Frédéric Winckler, Vuitton’s communications and events director.

The fancy threads didn’t stop these daring women travelers from interacting with creatures. In one shot, Elson reaches out to offer a giraffe some leaves; in another, Campbell, a skilled horseback rider, sits astride a zebra.

Winckler noted that none of the photos were manipulated, meaning all of the animal interaction was real, including Campbell’s synchronized stroll with a cheetah.

The campaign was styled by Carine Roitfeld, and also spotlights Vuitton’s iconic monogram bags — Speedy, Keepall and Neverfull — along with two new styles, including a structured, ladylike one.

An online film is to launch in tandem with the print ads, Winckler noted.

Ph. by Peter Lindbergh, Courtesy of Louis Vuitton