Loewe

Summary

With over 170 years of history.. Loewe is defined by its heritage, confidence in the present, and a firm look forward. Rooted in craftsmanship and unequalled expertise with leather, the luxury fashion brand’s founding pillars are desirable and functional products across ready-to-wear, accessories, home and lifestyle. Today, it is owned by LVMH.

History

Loewe was founded in 1846 in Madrid as a collective of artisans dedicated to leather making and an obsessive focus on craft. “Craft is the essence of Loewe” Creative Director Jonathan Anderson states on the official website of Loewe. “It is where our modernity lies and it will always be relevant.” Based in the house’s historic Madrid ateliers.. master artisans combine their centuries-old technical and material knowledge with a modern approach to design to create objects of desire.

The fashion brand was officially launched in 1876 when German craftsman Enrique Loewe Y Roessberg joined the group. King Alfonso XIII of Spain granted Enrique Loewe Y Hinton, a descendant of the original brand founder, the title “Purveyor to the Royal Court.” His wife Queen Victoria Eugenie frequently visited the store on Príncipe de Madrid Street. By the Seventies, Loewe had diversified into fashion and fragrance. Notably Giorgio Armani and Laura Biagiotti subsequently designed Loewe’s womenswear .

Loewe’s legacy of craftsmanship is the living heritage of the maison and is reflected in its ongoing commitment to supporting contemporary art, craft and design around the world. Craft and luxury are inextricably linked at Loewe and by honouring the complex artisanal processes behind the collections, it becomes possible to see their value and their merit. Overall Its minimalist aesthetic and artisanal craftsmanship have made Loewe one of the most sought-after luxury fashion brands worldwide.

In 1986 Loewe had sales of an estimated $200 million. By 1997 Narciso Rodriguez joined the company as Creative Director and the fashion brand held its first Paris runway presentation at LVMH headquarters in fall winter 1998During Vever’s tenure, Loewe scaled back fashion to concentrate on handbags, leather apparel and a gift business based on leather picture frames and leather boxes.

There was another significant organisational change and this time Jonathan Anderson became Loewe’s creative director in 2013. His first ready-to-wear collections for Loewe were presented the following year. Per Vogue Business: “In five years, 35-year-old Jonathan Anderson has remade the very foundations of Loewe LVMH’s oldest luxury fashion house. When he joined, Anderson spent a year revamping every element of the brand — from the logo down to the style of the press release — before he began work on his ready-to-wear debut.. The result is a brand that feels rooted in craft and tradition.. ”

The transformative power of Loewe continues to enthral. Per BoF, “Anderson’s work exults in the off-kilter. The dominant look in this show was a coat – or variant thereof – worn splendidly solo. Legs were bared, begging the kilt-shaped question: what does a man wear under his Loewe coat? Shorts, said Anderson. He talked about tricking people into feeling it’s familiar. And, as with his own show the other day, it quickly seemed so. That’s how the 1920s, with all their baggage, slide into a new century…”

Vision

Steeped in art and historical references, rooted in craft and tradition, luxury brand Loewe has been reinventing leather craftsmanship since two centuries. From its birth as an artisanal collective in Madrid in 1846 to its latest collection, the maison’s vidsion is rooted in creativity and a modern approach blended with traditional techniques. Today Loewe’s master artisans combine their craft knowledge accumulated over generations with cutting-edge technologies to produce iconic collections representative of Loewe’s ideals and vision.

Mission Statement

Loewe will continue to focus on its core values of creativity and craftsmanship exemplified by the most sumptuous bags, leather and suede clothing for women and men along with silken scarves and ties carrying tales of Spain.

Products and Services

LVMH-acquired luxury fashion brand Loewe caters to both men and women with apparel, small leather goods, bags and scarves, fragrance and leather gift items.

Key Team

Jonathan Anderson is Creative Director of Loewe while Pascale Lepoivre, CEO, helms the luxury fashion brand.

Awards and Recognition

Enrique Loewe Y Hinton, a descendant of the original brand founder, the title “Purveyor to the Royal Court.”

References

• https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/17/style/IHT-in-fashion-chess-more-new-moves.html
• https://www.expansion.com/empresas/distribucion.html
• https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/loewe-jonathan-anderson-interview
• https://www.vogue.es/moda/modapedia/marcas/loewe/143
• https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/anderson-preps-loewe-for-next-chapter-7946096/
• https://www.heroine.com/the-editorial/history-of-loewe
• https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/jw-anderson-biography
• https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/fashion/first-look-at-jonathan-andersons-mens-line-for-loewe.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/07/style/a-new-wave-of-boutiques-rolls-in-from-europe.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/21/garden/loewe-leather-arrives.html