A lot of things were at play over at Loewe. For the Spanish house's autumn/winter 2022 menswear runway show—the brand's first since the pandemic—creative director Jonathan Anderson presented the collection right within a site-specific installation by artists Joe McShea and Edgar Mosa. 'Flags, Paris 2022' filled the entire space with 87 flags made from nearly 4,000 ribbons. They were still; a collective awkward silence from things that looked so light and appeared to be begging to dance in the air, before given such freedom as models walked under them.
The collection itself was definitely not something one would typically expect of an autumn/winter one. First off, there were barely anything that could have protected a person from the chill of the season. The first look consisted of a pair of shorts worn with a sleeveless turtleneck jersey lit up from the inside by LEDs—an element that was peppered throughout the collection. Sheer, loosely knitted tops and sinkhole hardware (the kind you'd find in the tub or the wet area of a bathroom) would hardly provide any form of sufficient coverage.
Yet, that's Anderson's intention. At a time where non-tangible products are quickly gaining prevalence—NFTs and the resurgence of cryptocurrency, for instance—the Loewe autumn/winter 2022 menswear collection questioned the very essence of reality. What is real anymore? And why should anything at all appear as they seemed?
Look and feel: At times odd and perplexing, the collection was unusual but in the most brilliant of ways. Of course, I wouldn't expect the entire collection to be reproduced for the commercial market, but what Anderson does often is crafting each collection as a narrative of his idea for the season; translating them for practical wearability comes when the collection eventually hits stores.
As mentioned, it's strange for an autumn/winter collection to be light in feel and aesthetic. But perhaps, somewhat ingenious in the way that the concept of seasonality often changes and not every part of the world experiences seasons (if at all) at the same time. Denims were a unifier and grounded the surreal quality of the collection—Loewe Flamenco bags as footwear for example—while classic menswear basics such as boxers and coats were highlighted in trippy ways.
Favourite looks: It's easy to get lost in the surrealism of the collection, so I'm gravitating towards the pieces that could potentially exist in the boutiques. Look 10 is a clear favourite. The silhouettes are clean and almost looked as though there was nothing exceptionally special about the pieces. The jumper is constructed with a heart-shaped body plate (almost like a protective armour for the heart) and worn with slim denim jeans designed with a Loewe Anagram belt.
The oiled leather coats of looks 17 and 18 looked provocative when worn over briefs in the show, but would make for an interesting piece to play around with. Imagine one over different-coloured or even patterned combinations—slight distortions of colours that'll make your outfit anything but ordinary.
Favourite accessories: I'm very partial to the Flamenco because it really is one of the best bag silhouettes by the brand. For autumn/winter 2022, they're enlarged while still retaining a disproportionately thin knotted drawstring detail which was such an odd but appealing design choice. A Flamenco piece that would probably not be made commercially (or at least not to the same degree of intricacy) but still one that caught my eye, was the one fitted with a shell base colour-matched to the bag's leather. There were variations in gold and silver (looks 46 and 54) and either one would be such a work of art to own.
Then there's also the Amazona, another classic Loewe shape that was shrunken and given a taller, rectangular appearance (look 43). If you're looking for another mini-sized bag to add into your rotation, that would be one to watch.
More Paris Fashion Week Men's AW22 reviews:
Day Three: Louis Vuitton AW22
Day Four: Dior Men AW22
Day Five: Hermès AW22
