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The new face of Louis Vuitton is Lightning from Final Fantasy

When it comes to high fashion, gamers don’t exactly come to mind as the target demographic. But that doesn’t mean that the fashion houses of Paris aren’t drawing major inspiration from gaming culture — not the players, per se, but the characters in the games themselves. Louis Vuitton’s 2016 line has a new face, and while unfamiliar to some, Final Fantasy lovers will recognize their very own Lightning as the model of choice. Sporting a range of looks and accessories, Lightning is merging fantasy and reality into one pretty convincing package.

Reality and fantasy become one : lightning a genuine heroine in the new @louisvuitton series 4 ad campaign

A video posted by (@nicolasghesquiere) on

While Louis Vuitton’s venerable fashion presence has long been noted for its classic designs, this year, it looks to be doing something a bit more innovative and out of the box. Lightning, who serves as the protagonist of “Final Fantasy XIII,” is no Michelle Williams or Alicia Vikander, but she’s a worthy model all the same. Nicolas Ghesquière, who serves as the current creative director of the house of Louis Vuitton, gave fans a sneak peek of Lightning sporting Louis in a couple Instagram posts, where he called the video game character “a genuine heroine.” Surprisingly enough, this isn’t the first high fashion gig Lightning and her creator, Tetsuya Nomura, have landed. Back in 2012, Lightning, along with a few other members of the Final Fantasy XIII cast, made their debut in couture on behalf of Prada. And now that Louis Vuitton has adopted the practice, it may not be long before the likes of Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner are replaced by … well, animated characters.

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Lightning by tetsuya nomura and visual works of square enix for the new @louisvuitton ad campaign #LVSS16 A photo posted by (@nicolasghesquiere) on

Of course, some have noted that Ghesquière’s decision to utilize Lightning comes as little surprise — the designer’s collections (particularly his Spring 2016 show) seemed to be influenced by both anime and video games. As such, it practically makes sense for him to turn his muse into his model.

So look out gaming world — the fashionistas are coming for you.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
All Wall of Memories curiosities in Final Fantasy 16
Final Fantasy 16's cover showcasing its protagonist infront of two demon summons.

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The Oath
Automatically obtained once you reach the "Cid the Outlaw" main quest.
Ambrosia's Tack
Rewarded to you after completing "The White-Winged Wonder" sidequest.
Martelle Apples
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Cid's Goblet
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Guardians Scarf
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Continental Censer
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Hanged Man Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "For Great Justice II" sidequest.
Martha's Rest Signboard
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Crimson Caravans Signboard
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Charred Sparring Sword
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Scholar's Bonnet
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Stolas Quill
Rewarded to you after completing the "A Tail to Tell" sidequest.
Model Airship
Rewarded to you after completing the "Aiming High" sidequest.
Winter Mead
Rewarded to you after completing the "Silver Linings" sidequest.
Rusted Battlehelm
Rewarded to you after completing the "Where There's a Will" sidequest.
Snow Daisy Garland
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The Triunity Accord
Rewarded to you after completing the "Three's Company" sidequest.
Briar's Kiss Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Lines in the Sand II" sidequest.
Clayhearth Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Duty Undying II" sidequest.
Veil Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Under New Management II" sidequest.
Medicine Chest
Rewarded to you after completing the "Back to Their Origin" sidequest.
The Circle of Malius
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A chronolith trial pillar glowing in the sunlight.

Every Final Fantasy game changes up the battle system in one way or another. Final Fantasy 16 isn't the first to have real-time, action-focused combat, but is by far the most polished and refined one. The story is by no means secondary, but for the first time players are able to really express themselves through the various combos and abilities you can pull off. Square Enix recognized this and included special combat trails called Chronolith Trials. These are somewhat similar to the special missions you can find in games like Devil May Cry 5 where you are faced with a unique challenge for a reward. As tough as these challenges are to beat, finding them is also a bit of a chore. Hop on your Chocobo and follow our lead to find all the Chronolith locations in Final Fantasy 16. 
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Phoenix
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Final Fantasy X

While the role-playing game (RPG) has become a catch-all genre, now encompassing an almost silly range of games that don't share much in common, there was one video game franchise in the 1980s that was the quintessential RPG. Yes, we're talking about Final Fantasy from Square Enix.

The fantasy Japanese RPGs debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987, but they became cultural touchstones in the '90s as Super Nintendo games. From there, the series made an incredibly successful jump to 3D on the PlayStation 1 before the mainline series started to take more risks, including the elimination of turn-based battles and massively multiplayer online game (MMO) entries, and the latest game, Final Fantasy XVI, becoming a full-on character-action game.

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