Malle Mars: Retired NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin featured in new Louis Vuitton ad campaign

Looking to the future, French fashion and luxury goods company Louis Vuitton is seeking to capitalize on several past NASA missions. In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, Louis Vuitton hosted a star-studded party on July 13th in the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History in Washington. Retired astronauts Buzz Aldrin, the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11 and the second man to walk on the moon, and Jim Lovell, the captain of Apollo 13, were the guests on honor, while Sally Ride, of space shuttle fame, was also in attendance. In addition to historic photographs, vintage space-themed toys, and moonfaced models from Victoria’s Secret, the bash featured a conceptual trunk for what Louis Vuitton hopes is the future of luxury travel: Malle Mars. According to The New York Times, Daniel Lalonde, the CEO of Louis Vuitton North America, said the space-age silver trunk, which looks a bit like a futuristic Faberge egg, is “a luxurious and pragmatic way to get to Mars.”

Aldrin, Lovell, and Ride will also appear in a brand new Louis Vuitton advertisement campaign. According to The Wall Street Journal, the threesome will appear in photos shot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, sitting on a battered pickup truck in the California desert, gazing at the stars, talking about how space changed their lives. The ads will appear in magazines in a couple of weeks and Louis Vuitton will also maintain a website, A Journey Beyond. Meanwhile, check out the ad campaign’s video teaser and see what's inside Malle Mars!

Pictured: Louis Vuitton's Malle Mars trunk.