AN exploration of silhouette and texture, Loewe presents its AW20 collection in a search of new ways to work with craftsmanship. As characteristic of the fashion house, the collection stands out for its use of fabric, varying from satin to chiffon to, of course, leather, now a prominent symbol of the brand’s history and origins — founded in 1846 by Spanish leather craftsman.
The fundamental theme of the collection is the pleasure of playing with fashion. Looking at the past to project into the future, creative director Jonathan Anderson feeds on both the austereness and the pomp of Spanish iconography to conceive exaggerated shapes that are as regal as they are excessive. Playing with the idea of extremes, volumes and silhouette is suspended, dropped and engineered. Textures also clash, blurring between coarseness and shine, opulence and utilitarianism, wools and brocades, sturdy cottons and jacquard silks.
A look into the possibility of shape, the collection marks the first collaboration with Takuro Kuwata, a Japanese ceramist whose work is characterised by a feeling of instability, and an exploration of the boundaries between tradition with innovation. He was also awarded a special mention at the 2018 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in London.
The art and fashion worlds clash in an outward expression of femininity — ceramic design manifested in fabric.
by Emma Hart