JOY and experimentation defined Loewe’s Autumn/ Winter 2026 show, where creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez explored craft through production and performance. Presented in Paris, the collection embraced playfulness as a guiding principle, blending technical precision with irreverent gestures to push the boundaries of womenswear, menswear and accessories.
Leather remained central to the house’s identity, reimagined through innovative techniques. Hooded jackets were skived and fused to create seamless, sculptural shapes, while hourglass coats and jackets combined shaved and brushed shearling for a tactile gradient.
Bouclé coats of lacquered leather, corduroy trousers in pastel-dyed shearling and knitted dresses in ultra-fine leather yarn demonstrated the designers’ commitment to textural ingenuity. Inflatable parkas and scarves, shaped through laser-cutting and bonding, introduced a sense of lightness and movement.
Futuristic touches punctuated the collection. Slip dresses and pyjama tops were reinterpreted as 3D-printed latex forms, creating glossy, liquid-like surfaces, while rubber-moulded sneakers and Dive slingbacks referenced the designers’ ongoing engagement with sporty silhouettes. Draped layering, oversized hoods and triple-hooded parkas emphasised volume and physical interaction, reinforcing the collection’s playful sensibility.
The show’s aesthetic extended beyond clothing. Sculptural works by artist Cosima von Bonin appeared throughout the runway space, while her floral and gingham motifs were translated into inner linings, hand-painted latex pieces and a porcelain reworking of the Amazona 180 bag.
Accessories mirrored the collection’s inventive approach: the Amazona 180 was enlarged into a duffel with leather and calfskin trim, the Flamenco clutch showcased intricate intarsia, and the new Whisker bag combined structured form with slouchy suppleness.
Across the collection, colour and tactility reinforced Loewe’s playful ethos. Bright, optimistic hues and glossy, textural surfaces invited interaction, highlighting craft not as ornament but as the core language of design. With AW26, McCollough and Hernandez presented a collection that is technically ambitious, visually exuberant and joyfully unrestrained – a sophisticated, playful reinterpretation of luxury itself.
by Catherine Rowe-Kosary