Loewe Is Celebrating Its 180th Anniversary With a New Capsule Collection
The T-shirts, knits, and accessories blend modern design with nods to the Spanish fashion house’s history
Reported by Harper's Bazaar.
Some fashion houses turn anniversaries into nostalgia traps. Loewe is doing something smarter. The Spanish house is marking 180 years with a limited capsule collection that honors its origins without getting sentimental about them — a balancing act that's harder than it looks, especially for a brand mid-reinvention.
According to Harper's Bazaar, Loewe was born in 1846 as a Madrid leather workshop run by a collective of artisans. A German craftsman joined in 1872 and gave the house its name — derived from the German word for lion. What started as a humble leatherworking outpost spent the 20th century seducing Hollywood royalty (Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner) and actual royalty (the Spanish court), before expanding into fragrance and ready-to-wear in the late '60s and early '70s, and eventually planting its flag in New York in 1983. It is, by the way, the second-oldest luxury fashion house in the world. Worth saying out loud.
The Lion, the Puzzle Bag, and a Very Good Commission
The capsule itself leans into the lion — Loewe's namesake symbol — via artwork commissioned from British artist David Shrigley, whose painterly interpretation shows up across the Puzzle bag, the lining of the Amazonia tote, printed tees, intarsia knits, and beaded embroideries. It's playful without being precious, which is exactly the energy the house needs right now. The anniversary campaign adds another layer of cultural weight, starring Sissy Spacek, Julia Garner, and artist Kara Walker — a casting choice that signals where Loewe wants to position itself: somewhere between fashion and fine art, commerce and credibility.
All of this lands during what is genuinely a transitional moment for the brand. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez — the duo behind Proenza Schouler — stepped in as creative directors this year, debuting their first collection, launching a Paula's Ibiza drop, and staging their inaugural fall show, all in quick succession. The 180th anniversary capsule isn't just a celebration; it's context. A reminder that whatever direction McCollough and Hernandez take the house, there are nearly two centuries of craft underneath it.
A brand confident enough in its past to let a conceptual artist draw the lion — and smart enough to put it on a tote — doesn't need to shout about its legacy. It just needs to keep making things worth owning.
Read the original at Harper's Bazaar.
