We have known for a while that Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII is being used as a fashion model for Louis Vuitton's “Series 4” spring-summer 2016 prêt-à-porter line.

Today Square Enix and Louis Vuitton sent a press release with two additional official images, which you can see above and below and a comment from Tetsuya Nomura himself.

"“The stunning new look of Lightning including her poses and character in action was fully produced by Louis Vuitton.

Additionally, thanks to the Visual Works team, they were able to produce brilliant work under a tight schedule. This collaboration is not just a promotion of a game, and it is a great honor that the character herself received an offer from a world famous brand. As a result of this collaboration, this has infused new breath into the character, Lightning.”"

Louis Vuitton's Artistic Director Nicolas Ghesquière also commented

"It’s clear that the virtual aesthetic of video games is predominant in this collection. If we push the reflection about heroines, or what might constitute the nature of a woman whose actions can be so courageous that she becomes superior and iconic, it becomes obvious that a virtual entity integrates with the founding principles of the Maison.

Lightning is the perfect avatar for a global, heroic woman and for a world where social networks and communications are now seamlessly woven into our life. She is also the symbol of new pictorial processes. How can you create an image that goes beyond the classic principles of photography and design? Lightning heralds a new era of expression."

You can see previous images and a commercial here and here.

Update: translations of the Japanese press release have been replaced with the official statements included in the English press release.