>> The vivid, saturated colors that mark Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott's photography have long been associated with Louis Vuitton — they've shot every seasonal ad campaign for the brand, with maybe one exception, from as far back as 2002.

Spring 2009 may bring a new look — reports came today that former Versace face Madonna will be the face of the Spring 2009 tribal-Parisian Louis Vuitton collection, with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott behind the lens, but other sources are saying not so — "they are wrong about the photographer." 

Steven Meisel did Madonna's Vanity Fair cover earlier this year and also collaborated with him on her infamous Sex book, but she's also worked with Steven Klein often, including this year's Dazed & Confused cover and W a couple of years ago, so both photographers could feasibly be front runners over Mert and Marcus.
*image: source

>> ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —Kate Moss was photographed at a photoshoot Saturday afternoon in LA, and it looks like it's for the Spring 2009 Just Cavalli campaign, making it her second campaign for the label in a row.  The dress she was captured slipping in and out of is from the Spring 2009 Just Cavalli runway, and it was confirmed yesterday that she "just shot" the campaign in LA with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, so put two and two together and voila, pictures of the campaign in the making. [PopSugar, Vision Model Management]

>> BLOWING THE COVER —A red swim cap makes its way onto two Vogue covers for November 2008: Vanessa Paradis in Miu Miu — since she is their Fall 2008 campaign girl — for Vogue Paris by Miu Miu campaign photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, and Alana Zimmer by Tom Munro for Russian Vogue.  Vogue Paris's next issue is their December/January issue, which always has a fun guest editor — Kate Moss, John Galliano, Charlotte Gainsbourg — but no announcement yet.  It has to come soon, right? [TFS, Supreme Being]

>> Is Liz Tilberis rolling in her grave right now? Her iconic September 1994 Harper's Bazaar cover of Nadja Auermann photographed by Patrick Demarchelier has been swiped and reinterpreted for the September 2008 cover of W, featuring Kate Hudson as photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

The resemblance is far too uncanny to be a coincidence, what with the same blonde hair, light eyebrows, heavy cat-eye makeup, piercing blue eyes, and dark lipstick framed with a collar of blue all in common.  Of all the months to choose, wouldn't the big September issue be one you'd want to get creative with?

*image: source

>> BLOWING THE COVER —Model lovers, don't set your hopes high for those September 2008 covers.  W plans to feature Kate Hudson shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Elle will have Jessica Simpson, and Teen Vogue will star Vanessa Hudgens.  Curiously missing from the list, however, was who graces the September Vanity Fair, which is rumored to a supermodel extravaganza. [WWD]

>> ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —Carrying on her reign at Giorgio Armani —she appeared in the brand's Pre-Fall 2008 ads — Du Juan is joined by Jessica Stam in a dark, blunt crop for Fall 2008.  The dark, moody photos were shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, but look very inspired by Paolo Roversi, rather than like their normal crisp, color-saturated fare. [TFS]