Loewe

The American designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough are the new creative directors at Loewe, following Jonathan Anderson’s 11-year tenure. The duo, who left Proenza Schouler, the label they launched two decades ago in New York, rose to fame thanks to their keen eye for color and texture; sculptural or experimental silhouettes that were nonetheless grounded and wearable in the real world; and a legendary It-bag. They are expected to continue expanding the Spanish label’s legacy with its signature tongue-in-cheek charm.

Originally founded in 1846 in Spain as a collective of leather artisans, the Loewe brand is named after Enrique Loewe, a German craftsman who joined the collective in 1876 and unified their operation. Loewe was appointed as Royal Purveyor of Leather Goods by the Spanish Monarchy in 1905, and it began producing ready-to-wear in the 1960s (Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani both did early stints designing the womenswear). In 1996, a little over 20 years after the artist Vicente Vela created the signature “L” Anagram monogram, LVMH acquired the brand and set about re-energizing its women’s offerings; first with Narciso Rodriguez in 1997 and later with José Enrique Oña Selfa in 2001. Via Stuart Vevers, who began as creative director in 2008, Loewe found a new It-bag when the designer brought back the “Amazona,” a small geometric carry-all satchel originally launched in 1975.

Jonathan Anderson was named creative director at Loewe in 2013, and he quickly turned it into one of the most influential forces in fashion; not only on the strength of its runway presentations, but in the way he diversified Loewe’s offerings—whether with collaborations with the estate of David Wojnarowicz or Studio Ghibli, or with the launch of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, which awarded a cash prize to artisans “who demonstrate an exceptional ability to create objects of superior aesthetic value.” Anderson also brought a lighthearted side to the label, with the launch of “Loewe Paula’s Ibiza,” a seasonal capsule collection inspired by the iconic Spanish store; a home goods and fragrance collection with unexpected scents like tomato and marijuana; and a social media presence that honored the seriousness of his work while engaging with users in an authentic way.