From designing handbags for the Spanish royalty to being one of the most exciting brands of the moment, Loewe has gone through, and induced, many transformations. Undoubtedly, the biggest impact was brought by the current creative director, Jonathan Anderson, who joined the brand in 2013.
Guided by the mantra of ‘past, present, and future’, Anderson took a year to fine-tune his strategy, which included redesigning the logo, and turned Loewe into a beacon of Spanish iconography mixed with a contemporary vision. His success became more evident following the introduction of the now iconic Puzzle bag in 2015, and it has all been uphill from there.
Not only did he reinvent the identity, carrying the brand into modernity while still paying homage to the past, but he also reimagined the concept of fashion shows as we know them. Seeing the pandemic not as an obstacle but as an opportunity led to innovative “shows” which are only getting more creative.
For the presentation of the Spring 2021 men’s collection, Anderson teamed up with the design agency M/M (Paris), which had also taken a key role in the redesigning of the logo. Drawing inspiration from Marcel Duchamp’s Museum in a Box, together they brought the “show-in-a-box” concept to life. Numerous boxes containing objects like real fabric swatches, an inspiration booklet, and a letter from the creative director were sent out for people to experience a tangible fashion show adapted to the ways in which we are able to communicate right now.
This initiative furthered Loewe’s position as a cultural brand, which not only sells products but also ideas. Anderson continued opting out of runway shows for the Spring 2021 women’s collection, and instead created the “show-on-the-wall”. Unveiled with a video walk-through by Anderson describing the inspiration and the collection, this time the boxes included life-size posters that are meant to be hung on the walls of the recipients, among other things like sheet music and paintbrushes.
The experimentation of new fashion show formats is an extension of his experimentation when it comes to the designs. Indeed, the Spring 2021 collections explored various new techniques and fresh updates of classic pieces. Designed during the pandemic, the pieces carry a connection to the idea of using what you have, and they feature leather and fabric pieces that were collected from local people working from home.
The newest addition to this series of reimagining of fashion shows came recently with the Fall Winter 2021 women’s collection. Collaborating with the M/M (Paris) team once again, Anderson presented the collection in a newspaper format, with the headline reading “The Loewe show has been cancelled”. Various newspapers worldwide included a printed attachment of the show on the day it was scheduled for Paris Fashion Week. Building on the idea that was the focus of the previous collections, that of life continuing during a time of global crisis and the need to adapt to the changes, “A show in the news” was another way of integrating the presentation of the collection to people’s daily lives.
Making use of non-digital media and being able to reach a mass audience is more difficult than ever these days, however, Loewe has continuously showcased its ability to exceed expectations. With Anderson’s growing realisation of the negative connotations of traditional runway shows and his ability to innovate, Loewe’s collections and their presentation are key examples of how designers can focus their efforts on finding creative ways to meet the needs of our times while creating a positive and inspiring change.
by Selin Hatunoglu
