Loewe debuts a new vision of California cool
LOEWE debuts a new vision of California cool
In fashion, the idea of quintessential Californian ease is a well-established trope. However, this season, inspired by the seminal work of Los Angeles native Ken Price, LOEWE offers an alternative, and suitably artful, vision of the so-called Golden State
Since his appointment as creative director of Spanish house LOEWE in 2013, designer Jonathan Anderson has imbued the label with his love of art. From creating collections that pay homage to the likes of British ceramist William De Morgan and Scottish architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh, to founding the annual LOEWE Craft Prize, Anderson has established art and time-honored artisanal techniques as an integral part of the brand’s DNA. For the exclusive LOEWE x Ken Price capsule, Anderson drew inspiration from a series of 20 hand-painted plates created by Price for an installation at La Palme restaurant, in the Newport Beach Hotel, in the early 1980s. Clay and print were Price’s primary materials, and the La Palme series brings these two disciplines together beautifully. A stalwart of the burgeoning ’60s West Coast art scene, Price was a Los Angeles native who became emblematic of Finish Fetish, an amalgamation of the pop art, minimalist and light and space movements, which became the de facto Los Angeles style during this formative time.
When it came to translating Price’s works, the ever-playful Anderson experimented with every tool at his disposal, from fabrication to form. Now-iconic LOEWE handbag styles such as the ‘Gate’, ‘Hammock’ and, of course, ‘Puzzle’, were reimagined with sunny, illustrated scenes cast in embroidery and leather marquetry. The question of whether fashion can be considered an art form may still be up for discussion – rarely has it received the same elevated status – but no matter what side of the fence you sit on, there’s no denying that these exquisitely crafted pieces come with collector’s status guaranteed. That said, these bags were made to be worn; they’re an effortless way to add flair, and a jolt of joy, to everything from blue denim and oversized knits to LBDs.
This sense of fun extends to ready-to-wear, which features voluminous sweaters that feed in perfectly with the traditional notion of Cali cool, complete with vivid embroidery and color-pop pockets. The pants go a step further, with their balloon cut recalling the biomorphic sculpture for which Price was particularly well known, and combining this highbrow reference with the surf and skate culture so inherent to the traditional Los Angeles aesthetic. At a time when clothes that combine comfort and ease have never been more highly prized, at least in terms of the clothes we wear, every woman’s closet could benefit from these throw-on-and-go pieces, which work just as well for off-duty days spent with friends as they do for lounging around the house.
As ever, the true magic of Anderson’s designs lies in his deft ability to take something seemingly familiar and present it in an entirely new way. Despite the fact that Price’s plates date back to the 1960s, when rendered in the medium of clothing, they feel like a truly cutting-edge proposition. With this inspired capsule, Anderson at once shows us where the future of fashion is headed but also honors, and preserves, centuries-old craft. In fact, it’s Anderson’s knack for conceiving of combinations that, on paper, sound utterly incongruous, but result in one-of-a-kind pieces, that mark him out as one of the most original, and influential, designers at work today.
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