Fashion campaigns for the latest spring/summer 2009 looks are hitting billboards, newspapers and screens near you right now, with international celebrities adding extra clout.

Actresses, actors and pop stars are preening and pouting in designers' latest creations, where once it was enough to have a hot model of the moment working those clothes.

WACOAL

The star: Japan's queen of pop and fashion icon Ayumi Hamasaki, 30 The background: Call it a perfect fit. In a press statement, a Wacoal spokesman says the brand shares several similarities with the pop star, including international recognition and star style. In return, the singer says: 'Wacoal's pursuit for perfection and functionality is akin to my belief and attitude in work.' The ad: The bottled blonde lounges on a plush-looking bed, her plump curves for all to see. The buzz: Fans and critics immediately questioned whether the petite star had undergone a boob job to fill her Wacoal cups. Catch the behind-the-scenes video that will be screened at Wacoal outlets, however, and you will notice that she has actually put on considerable weight. Urban says: The singer's decolletage might be a tad distracting but her looks and natural poses prevent the ads from looking like a beer ad.

Urban counted at least seven campaigns using showbiz allure to spotlight their offerings.

Mean Girl actress Lindsay Lohan, for example, is using her long legs to show off Italian label Fornarina's desirable denims.

Japanese pop queen Ayumi Hamasaki reveals other talents besides her voice - she poses provocatively in a skin-baring print campaign for lingerie company Wacoal.

Her silent sensuality is quite a coup - it is the first time the Japanese brand has used a 'non-model' to front its ads.

Joanna Chen, marketing executive of Wacoal Singapore, says that by using the fashionable, high-profile singer, it hopes to expand its market share and strengthen its image as a stylish brand.

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham is another who has swopped the beat for a bra ad. She is doing a David, modelling underwear.

Just like her footballer hubby, Victoria is showing off her toned bod to boost Italian designer Giorgio Armani's assets. The mum of three with the robotic stare has scored the Emporio Armani Women's Underwear campaign over gorgeous models who usually get the job.

Armani told British newspaper The Daily Telegraph: 'She is a stylish and intriguing woman... I'm sure Victoria's presence will generate great excitement and contribute to the continued international growth of our business.'

The trend of celebrity-fronted campaigns is unlikely to lose its shine anytime soon.

Says David Mayo, 43, president of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Asia Pacific: 'In any culture, celebrity sells.

'When you hire a celebrity, the value he holds is seen as reflective of the values of your brand. The bigger the face, the bigger the brand is perceived to be.'

This could explain why labels are usually willing to pay extra for this sprinkling of star dust.

Mrs Beckham, for one, was reportedly paid US$17 million (S$25.6 million) for her three-year Armani contract.

This works out to about US$5.7 million a year, slightly more than what Victoria's Secret Angel Gisele Bundchen got.

The A-list Brazilian model was paid less than US$5 million for a one-year contract with the American lingerie label. The sum was rumoured to be the reason for her giving up her wings in 2007.

LOUIS VUITTON	MIU MIU	ENERGIE JEANS
The star: Madonna, 50 The background: Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs got the idea after watching her live in concert. He told industry trade journal Women's Wear Daily last month: 'I was totally just blown away by the concert and moved by her performance; by what she had to say and her energy.' The ad: Set in a smoky French bistro, the six-picture campaign features the singer doing her best Basic Instinct impression while dressed in the season's key tribal-inspired looks. The buzz: The Material Girl's provocative poses have caused a stir among the media with British newspapers such as the Daily Mail and the Telegraph calling them 'raunchy'. Urban says: The image of a 50-year-old doing spreadeagles is likely to send chills down anybody's spine - no matter how good she might look.	The star: American actress Katie Holmes, otherwise known as Mrs Tom Cruise, 30 The background: In a press statement, the Italian label called the actress one of the 'Miu Miu inspirations - vital and modern individuals that shape and alter their surroundings through powerful grace'. She joins a list of Miu Miu celebrity campaign models that dates back to 1995 and includes American actresses Drew Barrymore and Kirsten Dunst. The ad: Set against an apocalyptic sky, the actress is seen glowering and pouting or with her eyes closed, as if hypnotised, as she shows off the season's wild woman look. The buzz: Holmes cannot seem to dodge the Stepford Wife barbs that have been plaguing her since she married Cruise in 2006. Netizens question whether this first-time campaign model had been taking cues from best friend Victoria Beckham, known for her robotic pout. Urban says: Hooray for this starlet who has let her personal life cramp her talent and style for far too long.	The star: Acclaimed Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyer, 31 The background: Wicky Hassan, creative director of the Sixty Group which owns Energie, says he was taken by Meyer's 'dandy-meets-rebel' image. 'His name, his attitude, his face and his style all perfectly capture the rock 'n' roll attitude and clashing aesthetics that characterise our brand,' he says. The ad: Meyer puts his piercing blue eyes, taut physique and newly reared goatee to good use and channels some bad boy charm as he is pictured walking down a stark white corridor. The buzz: Praise from fashion bloggers and gossip rags such as American e-zine The Insider proves that the actor can do no wrong even with some extra facial hair. It might be the former training: He was Versace's campaign boy from 2006 to 2007 and has been the face of Hugo Boss' men's fragrances since 2005. Urban says: Good pick. There are few actors who are as versatile - and hot - as this Irish hearthrob.
FORNARINA	EMPORIO ARMANI	VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
The star: American actress and prime paparazzi target Lindsay Lohan, 22 The background: The Italian label reportedly sees the freckle-faced, redhead starlet not just as a campaign model but also a role model. Scott Ronaldson, managing director of Fornari Retail which runs the Italian brand, told fashion e-zine FabSugar (www.fabsugar.com): 'Lindsay is a very self-confident, dynamic woman. She's got a lot of attitude. That's what we're hoping our customer will aspire to.' The ad: The ex-Parent Trap star turns on her inner Lolita as she models the label's signature girly-meets-flirty togs in a Los Angeles mansion. The buzz: Many agree that the actress is a good fit for the brand. Says People magazine online: 'We think Lindsay's ads show the perfect balance of sexiness and beauty while staying true to the hip line's youthful vibe.' Urban says: We couldn't agree more. Li-Lo looks smokin' hot in the ads and the good publicity could just boost her fledgling acting career.	The star: Spice Girl and queen of Wags Victoria Beckham, 34 The background: Posh Spice follows in the footsteps of her superstar footballer husband David, who posed for the underwear label last year. Friend and designer Giorgio Armani says of the singer: 'Great underwear is alluring and provocative so I wanted to work with someone who would make a real impression.' The ad: The singer shows off her signature pout and taut figure in moody, black and white pictures with a film noir touch. The buzz: Response has been mixed with the likes of People magazine calling the pictures 'stunning' while netizens slam her robotic poses. Wrote an anonymous contributor on fashion community Fashionising (www.fashionising.com): 'As much as I love the outfits, the pixie crop and insane heels... these adverts have as much life to them as a dodo.' Urban says: Silicone boobs aside, which mother of three you know looks this fit? In the words of blogger Perez Hilton, 'ferosh!' (short for ferocious).	The star: Former Baywatch bombshell Pamela Anderson, 41 The background: Dressed in a skin-tight Westwood sheath dress, the buxom Canadian actress was said to have impressed the eccentric British designer at her London Fashion Week show last September. Said a spokesman for the designer: 'Vivienne thought Pamela looked stunning in her clothes so when thinking of casting her next campaign, she immediately thought of Pamela.' The ad: The actress (above, in shopping cart) hams it up for the camera alongside Westwood and her husband, Andreas Kronthaler, in locations including a laundry shop and golf course. The buzz: New York magazine called it the campaign that it is 'most excited' about this season. Other online fashion magazines such as Style List (www.stylelist.com) admit that what could have been a terrible pairing turned out to be 'a match made in heaven'. Urban says: The queen of Brit fashion shows again why she is every bit an iconoclast.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on Jan 30, 2009.