This Is Not Fake

Filed under: Fashion Smashion

Shot by famed photog Annie Leibovitz, Mikhail Gorbachev stars in a series of new ads for Louis Vuitton.

What the eff?????

Posted: Jul 27, 2007 at 12:59 pm / Email this »

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186 comments to “This Is Not Fake”

More comments: « 1 [2]

christie says – reply to this

101

"I HOPE THE MESSAGE ISN'T WORLD PEACE THROUGH LOUIS VUITTON??"CAUSE IT JUST WOULD WORK!!
christie says – reply to this

102

OOPSIE DAISY I MEAN'T IT JUST WOULDN'T WORK!!!!!
Martine says – reply to this

103

That's cool. Yup. Love you Gorbi!
Valentina says – reply to this

104

YESSS!!!!! Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (president of Iran for the uninformed) would look greattttt in Gucci… or perhaps Michael Kords (he looves American designers)!!!!
gwenfan says – reply to this

105

Didn't he die this year? When was this shot?
V says – reply to this

106

michael kors that is..
jnf says – reply to this

107

I am appalled at how stupid some of you are. Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union and it fell under his control. Please. I think its kind of a cool idea to make LV older and more sophisticated since all of the tacky people buying fake LVs (probably those of you who dont know who Gorbachev is) have ruined its brand.
krk says – reply to this

108

Pathetic, you obviously flunked out of high school if you don't know who is Gorbachev! Try doing something useful w/ your brain than wasting your time on Britney Spears' disaster.
krk says – reply to this

109

And, to Joe F, if you're going to mock Americans, get your facts straight, retard! Why would Louis Vuitton use a dictator who killed millions of people to promote its products? Because Gorbachev isn't Milosevic, loser!The Russian Gorbachev wasn't behind the Balkans ethnic cleansing. That was Milosevic who is from Yugoslavia and is now DEAD! Joe, go back to high school!
lisa says – reply to this

110

fyi, it was yeltsin who died recently not gorbachav
Terese says – reply to this

111

THis is really sad… sad as you not covering RON MEXICO! I get tired of the same rotation… i is the same whores just a different day on here. Come on.
Vicious says – reply to this

112

Louis Vuitton makes some seriously ugly-assed and overpriced bags and luggage.
Why don't rich folks have any fucking TASTE???
Manda C.K. says – reply to this

113

Interesting choice.
Jenna says – reply to this

114

Frankly, old Gorby makes me wanna go cop that Speedy from LV right now!
moermroe says – reply to this

115

The photo is brilliant. MG looks like a frightened bird in a bullet-proof cage. He's haunted. He can buy all the LV in the world, just like the rest of you uncultured dim-wits, but it will change nothing in this world. LV will not save him from unhappiness. He, like you, will someday die.
moondancer says – reply to this

116

#77 That wall in the background is what's left of the Berlin Wall. It's left up on purpose and artists were allowed to create on sections of it - there are some excellent pieces on there.

It's somewhat disturbing that many people don't know who Gorbachev is! Perez, you're doing your part to educate the masses. xoxoxo
Philboy says – reply to this

117

He's dead, that's not possible! He died last year.
GORBY says – reply to this

118

How the hell can any of you ask who this man is? How embarrasing for Americans, like myself. Those ignorant enough not to pay attention to any global politics over the last 20 years; please do us all a favor and walk your ass into oncoming traffic. Thank you.
belita says – reply to this

119

that would make me want to by one.
Miss NYC Fashion Pants says – reply to this

120

It works. Now their adds are just as ugly as their bags
GORBY says – reply to this

121

and no he is not dead you knucklehead. That was Yeltsin (the first president of the russian federation) Not Gorby (the last president/General secretary of the Communist party of the Soviet Union)
Erica says – reply to this

122

Is that the Berlin wall behind in the picture?
Somerset says – reply to this

123

He looks bad asss. he may be old, but it adds a touch of old world elegance…come on people, doesnt anyone appreciate class anymore?
bccB says – reply to this

124

People who ask who Mikail Gorbachev is makes me shake my head and shed a tear for society.

Get an education por favor.
mafme says – reply to this

125

"Who is he?" Seriously? What a sad group of ignoramuses.
Willow The Wisp says – reply to this

126

Holy shit!! What the hell are they teaching you in school? If you don't know who Mikhail Grobachev is or what that wall with the "graffiti" is behind him, then do a friggin web search.
Ignorance isn't bliss!
Gorby Fan says – reply to this

127

I think it is great - talk about full circle, from Communism to Capitalism, hawking bags that most people can onley afford the knock offs of.

He needs the money, as his pension is only about 30K a year…

I LOVE GORBY - all you stupid perez readers need to do some research and see how he changed the world YOU love in!!!!
Kinky Tink says – reply to this

128

Wow…. now thats how to get taken seriously…. the word sellout comes to mind
outragedfan says – reply to this

129

i cannot fucking believe the majority of you do not know who he is or do not remember who he is. and i'm not even 30 yet. THIS IS WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THIS COUNTRY. plus ca change, bitches!!!!
HHHAAHH says – reply to this

130

AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
this just made my day.
lugan girl says – reply to this

131

youve got to be kidding, thats just and insult to the baltic states
Nina says – reply to this

132

LV must have needed the complete opposite of Jessica Simpson in order to neutralize the negative effect that her carrying LV bags all the time creates. Respect.
Hannah says – reply to this

133

This is so odd…
Brainiac says – reply to this

134

~~~Gorby's one of the few, former leaders with a birthmark that looks like a country. Russia? He looks pensive in the ad. It just goes to show you that a serious man needs a serious designer duffle bag.I have a couple of L.V. bags and use them often. L.V., Chanel, Burberry - classic!~~~
Alexandra says – reply to this

135

THIS is newsworthy.
StarkShark says – reply to this

136

WHY WOULD IT BE FAKE? Who does your captions? sorry, You're losing it.
Think about it. Don't deal with politics, aka you're Michael Moore coverage too.
Stick with Celeb sychophant appreciation. Isn't your career based on Paris Hilton?
moriel: www.myspace.com/peachesandpenumbras says – reply to this

137

OH HELL YES! SO SEXY! I LOVE RUSSIANS!
mimi says – reply to this

138

weird. funny. classy. great pic! Original marketing:) The world needs more people who dare to change the world in a BETTER way, against many protests! He´s awesome! (By the way, I´m 16. It´s called EDUCATION…)
Ms. Kennedy says – reply to this

139

phew!
louis vuitton is soo not trendy.
everytime i see someone with lv on there arm i cant help but realize how poor they look.
lv stinks
chanels 2.55 calfskin bags will always be in!
Ms. Kennedy says – reply to this

140

AND BTW, unless u count alaska as a country, its just a birthmark of a state~!
Ms. Kennedy says – reply to this

141

and another cool fact..
hehe

his birthmark in 2004 was the symbol for a red wine company
ciao says – reply to this

142

omg, perez, the fact that half of these people commenting dont even know who he is?! i think you should educate these people, since you are probably the only source of news they ever read.

mr. hilton, begin class!!!!
Joe says – reply to this

143

"everytime i see someone with lv on there arm i cant help but realize how poor they look."______________ - What a dumbfuck
Hector Cedrun says – reply to this

144

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: Михаи́л Серге́евич Горбачёв (help·info)), surname more accurately romanized as Gorbachyov; born 2 March 1931) is a Russian politician. He was the last leader of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until its collapse in 1991. His attempts at reform helped end the Cold War, and also ended the political supremacy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and dissolved the Soviet Union. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.
JAA says – reply to this

145

What's wrong with a man making a little money Perez? Better to invade a country so that your stock options increase in value? WTF Perez…..you make money by bad-mouthing insecure actresses…..who is the whore here?
dj says – reply to this

146

What? I thought he died!!
jmzr22 says – reply to this

147

I like this. Vuitton is at heart, travel, and not about pretty young things (those Scarlett Johannsen(spelling?) ads of theirs come to mind). I find myself gagging at the sight of pretty girls toting monogram with their best dress on. Leibovitzis about 3 years late on the trend of 'Luxury as everyday' though. Also, cynicism is ripe for a comback.
naomi says – reply to this

148

…really?
newsgrrl says – reply to this

149

Well, he is the last person I would have expected in an LV ad, but very cool.
Wedro says – reply to this

150

Karen's right. Gorbachev's not downstairs. He's at Tunnel.
jojo says – reply to this

151

wait waht?
lauren says – reply to this

152

That is fuckin Ballin
merle says – reply to this

153

It's about time someone put that beautiful birthmark to good use!
I love Mikhail!
louise says – reply to this

154

My god, there are some stupid and ignorant people out there! Who is Gorbachev indeed. Just proves the point that most Americans are DUMB. Stop salivating over young hollywood for a while and read up on past/current world events…I agree with one of the comments- at least it's not Lindsay Lohan or some young stupid actress who can't tell her arse from her elbow…
missthy says – reply to this

155

For the first time it's not sex selling handbags. I like it, needs someone more well-known and gangstarish.
v says – reply to this

156

perez, how does it feel to know that most of your readers are totally ignorant? i think it's so sad
missthy says – reply to this

157

LV, try George Bush next time, I'm sure he'd be into it, He's in a Madonna music clip for $%#'s sack!
Shannon says – reply to this

158

This is awesome. I love it.
ct says – reply to this

159

this is strange and repulsive.
lamers says – reply to this

160

it's so sad that our generation is more interested in stupid ass celebrities than knowing about the history that has shaped the world as we know it. Have any of you heard of glasnot and perestroika? this is what essentially led to the end of the Cold War and left the United States as the sole superpower of the world. Celebrity gossip is entertaining and fun, but it's also important to know about our past so we can affect our future!
BiggaB says – reply to this

161

Rofl…. Wow, sure makes me want to go buy a Louis Vuitton bag!
notthatold says – reply to this

162

he's still alive??? couldn't sworn the dude died last year.
mia says – reply to this

163

So this is my first time ever visiting this site, and it will be my last! I fear that my IQ will drop the to single-digited ones of Perez Hilton readers…HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW WHO GORBACHEV IS?! Get your heads out of your asses and US Weekly's and EDUCATE yourself!
And for all the idiots: HE HELPED END THE COLD WAR!

This is U N B E L I E V A B L E!!!
milfs love perez says – reply to this

164

It must be hard out there for a pimp…
Princess Mags says – reply to this

165

I see the ex president of Russia Mikhail Gorbachev is pimping out the new Louis Vuitton bags. Next thing you know they will have the Clintons, the Bushes, or even better Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sporting LV bags or luggage.
bonbon66 says – reply to this

166

I give you an A in spelling, #166! LOL
alison says – reply to this

167

He's dead
kiimbo. says – reply to this

168

To the idiots on here who don't know who Gorbachev is, for once stop salivating over Hollywood and spend some time on past/present global politics and affairs. Dumbasses!

As for Gorbachev–whooooa. GANGSTAAAAAA! Can't wait to see Ahmadinejad in Gucci. xD..

The Berlin Wall was an excellent, haunting addition to the photo.

actually, Lech Walesa would do this picture justice, too.
kiimbo. OMFG HE'S NOT DEAD says – reply to this

169

Mikhail Gorbachev is alive. Boris Yeltsin is dead. The switch-a-roo pisses me off.
VICTORIAA (Perez4Prez) says – reply to this

170

What fresh hell?
mads says – reply to this

171

Of course the man that brought Capitalism to Russia is the perfect man to advertise one of the most consumeristic brands in the land!
D Aelxander says – reply to this

172

Yes, its always so glamorous when you steal money from your countryman in Russia so that you can live well. But I wouldnt expect any less from the Jewish Leibovitz.
Alex says – reply to this

173

haha that is seriously great, I'm Russian and I just showed this to my mom and she laughed her ass off…
Reality says – reply to this

174

OK, this is TOO upsetting. #1 - Gorbachev was the communist leader of Russia and would have nuked us all in the 80's if Reagan hadn't bested him. If this man had had his way, none of us would be alive. The only things that stopped him was fear of our retaliation and his country's failing economy. #2 - Louis Vuitton should absolutely be BOYCOTTED for featuring a man who tried his best to kill us all and stands for everything we as Americans should despise. #3 - The fact that none of you know this is SCARY - one person even wrote that he was responsible for ENDING the cold war! FOOLS!! He WAS the cold war!!
The Chairman says – reply to this

175

From a marketing perspective, it makes sense. He has, by mere virtue of his length on the world stage, a established political greatness that some people will see as a cultural archetype of power and authority. Wealthy men, regardless of their political leanings, are likely to look at this image and empathize with it on the sub-conscious level that Cloitaire Rapaille calls the "reptilian" brain.

For those of who who don't know who he is … frankly, you get the government you deserve. You have no right to complain about the war in Iraq, health care, or the contraction of upper mobility if you won't exert the effort to educate yourself about our Republic. Most of you probably are stupid enough to believe that we actually elect the President (and before one of you ask, the Constitution vests the power to select delegates in the Legislatures of each of the States, which may then decide how they want to select representatives to send to the Electoral College vote. It just so happens that our states, at this point in time, have shifted to a direct-popular vote method. That could change next week. Literally. By law, the State of New York, for example, could give Rosie O'Donnell the power to choose all of the delegates for the state. Technically, if Hillary Clinton got 98% of the popular vote in the United States, the delegates could get together in December and make Dick Chaney President. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it because that's how the system was established by our founding fathers because they didn't trust the uneducated, vapid general public.
Jelena says – reply to this

176

Former Russian president Boris Yeltsin died earlier this year, NOT Gorbachev, and NOT Slobodan Milosevic (he died last year). And Milosevic was not behind the break up of the former Yugoslavia, nor was it Gorbachev. It was the West who orchestrated the entire bloody break up.
perez hilton is fat says – reply to this

177

1st and perez hilton smells like donkey semen and had anal sex with ann coulter and alan colmes
marie says – reply to this

178

that's the coolest ad ever.
jojo says – reply to this

179

i guess jellyhead has that sort of ugly-chic going on that is so popular these days
FOXYFEMME says – reply to this

180

ISN'T HE ALREADY DEAD?!!??!?!
Hello Kitty says – reply to this

181

Real nice.. I can just picture hungry Russians :O(

But you know the job has to come with some killer perks. This is up there with Maggie Moo Cow being the new face of PA.. it hurt to much to even type their name. Why pick such a fug to push their stuff ?
Marie says – reply to this

182

err… hello?
geeze, i agree with those who say "get educated!".
i briefly looked at the comments and i feel like people think we're a 3rd world country or smth (I'm Russian). of course it's no wonder, if you guys even don't know who Garbachev is, but serisoly… I undertsand Americans are very patriotic and stuff but i think you should know what's outside your country, or else you make the stereotype that "all americans are stupid" soooo true.

to the guy who said the russians would be offended: not at all, believe me.

about the ad:
i think it's nice. i agree with the person who said it's better than drugged paaartying teenagers.
and i agree, it's Creative.
I study advertising so this gave some food for thought.
thanks for sharing, Perez))
Marie says – reply to this

183

to HelloKitty:
hungry russians?
hello?
Moscow was Officialy the most expensive city in_the_world.
our country might have some problems (in some_regions, not everywhere) but we're definetly not starving.
read o book or smth, God!
tyrone says – reply to this

184

Americans are sooooo stupid! You mean History isnt taught at school?sad!
Igor says – reply to this

185

Dumb Americans!
alona says – reply to this

186

hahahahah this shit is priceless….i gotta show this to my parents

More comments: « 1 [2]

Kat Graham To Perform On Ellen And Release Debut EP This Tuesday, May 29th!

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