Actress Deepika Padukone has become the first ever Indian brand ambassador of luxury brand Louis Vuitton. The news was announced by the French brand on May 10. The brand unveiled the role of 36-year-old Bollywood actress during their new handbag campaign. It saw Padukone joining in actors Emma Stone and Zhou Dongyu for promotional shots, as per edition.cnn.com.?

Padukone is often pictured sporting Louis Vuitton outfits and bags, and she had also modelled for them previously. She became the first Indian actor to feature in the brands campaign in 2020, when she posed for a mock book cover with stars like Lea Seydoux and Sophie Turner.?

In their press release, the French luxury brand said, "Following a strong collaborative relationship with the Maison... the award-winning actress begins an exciting new chapter of her journey with Louis Vuitton.”?

On the professional front, Padukone has featured in more the 30 films like ‘Padmavaat’ which is one of the highest grossing Indian movies. Along with this, Padukone was recently announced as a part of 9-member jury at 2022 Cannes Film Festival. According to Forbes India’s celebrity 100 list, Padukone earned around $6 million in 2019.?

The actress recently starred in promotional campaigns for brands like Levi and Adidas, and her partnership with Louis Vuitton marks her first ambassador role for the brand. The announcement came just after she was named as the Vogue India’s laster cover page star. In the same photo shoot, which will appear in May 2022 issue, the actress will be seen sporting various Louis Vuitton items. In the cover story, Padukone talks about her previous campaign for brand and her relationship with the creative director.?

Padukone said, "When you're 18 and have just started earning, you don't even bother looking into a Louis Vuitton store when you walk past it because you know you're never going to be able to afford it. There are some things that are aspirational and then there are some things that are just completely out of your orbit. My association with Louis Vuitton is the latter. I'm a very practical, pragmatic person in reality, but I keep having to pinch myself because I can't believe this is real, and it speaks to the kind of diversity I hope to see in the future.”

India has not been on the radar of traditional targets for luxury sector. However, with the growing middle class and brand influence, the 2019 edition of McKinsey & Company and Business of Fashion’s influential annual report said that India became ‘too important for the international brands to ignore’.?