>> The casting for the Spring 2009 Louis Vuitton campaign?  Blame it on a Madonna concert.  The night before Marc Jacobs had a brainstorming meeting, he had attended a Madonna concert in Paris: "I was totally just blown away by it, and moved by her performance, by what she had to say, and her energy."  He emailed Madonna on his BlackBerry right then and there, and within five minutes came the reply: "I'd love to."

As rumored, Madonna was indeed captured in six images at Figaro in LA by Steven Meisel, marking the end of a six year partnership between the brand and photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.  This seems to be the first of many collaborations between Meisel and Louis Vuitton — Antoine Arnault, the brand's director of communications — said it's "very probable" the association will continue.  As for the rumored $10 million fee Madonna commanded?  Arnault dismissed it as "absurd": "It’s very far away from that."
*image: source