At Loewe, there is nothing truly expected or completely ordinary. The Spanish fashion house has been creating pieces that traipse the line between high and commercial fashion since Jonathan Anderson took creative charge. There’s the now-signature asymmetrical oversized shirt, autumn/winter 2018’s Aladdin-looking sneakers, and it’s line of irregular-shaped bags and accessories, just to name a few.
Yet it seems that recently, Anderson has been exploring his more commercial side. His designs for eponymous label JW Anderson has evolved to rely less on exaggerated and fussy details; they’re more refined and purposeful. A great example would be his two-season collaboration with retail giant Uniqlo, Anderson’s most mainstream endeavour yet. Now, he’s brought that sensibility over to Loewe.
Designed for the great outdoors, Eye/Loewe/Nature is a permanent menswear collection. Loewe’s loyal followers would be familiar with the ‘Eye’ insignia—designed by regular collaborators M/M Paris—that was first introduced in the house’s free quarterly publication, Eye/Loewe/You. Read it carefully and you’d realise that it’s a play on ‘I love…’
Eye/Loewe/Nature is all form and function. In place of Loewe’s favoured leathers, every accessory in the collection is crafted using high-grade canvas. But of course, trimmed and embellished with some semblance of leather (Loewe is first and foremost a luxury leather goods maker, after all). The backpacks are constructed with added cushioning and support, with interior zipped pockets securely storing laptops or tablets. For those that would rather hike up the streets of a cosmopolitan city, there are Eye/Loewe/Nature’s sling bags and totes—compact and great for those always on the go.
The clothes are just as functional. Technical fabrics replace more precious materials, and are used to make the collection’s parkas, while recycled cotton fibres are knitted into jumpers. The collections ready-to-wear is not what one would expect from traditional outdoor gear too. The colours are vibrant as opposed to the usual khakis and browns; the accessories echo the same concept.
Now all that we’re left to do is to get used to more walking, hiking and embracing nature.
The Loewe Eye/Loewe/Nature collection is available at Loewe boutiques.
