A meditative moment at Loewe

A moment of calm at Loewe in the madding season of never-ending fashion rendezvous that is the runway season in Paris.

The audience dashing out of the rain and into UNESCO world headquarters to witness the latest collection for the Madrid-based maison designed by Jonathan Anderson.

A mindfulness speech on the soundtrack; and a meditative invitation of young lady in a plaid shirt and straw hat sitting on an armchair reading Don Quixote. Copies of other classic novels – from Madame Bovary to Heart of Darkness – were left, in their original language on each guest’s seat. However, the book covers were made of old Italian Vogue covers shot by Steven Meisel, the photography legend who shoots all Anderson’s campaign for Loewe.

“I suggested to Steven to choose the cover that fits the title. Classicism is always there and you don’t have to run away from it, but sometimes just change the cover. Anyway, I liked the idea of republishing book in their original languages. It brings a certain calmness,” said Anderson in a packed backstage.

And, the cast was calm too, practically all of them wrapped up in dramatic coats. From a putty gray shearling topcoat with exposed seams and A-Line ideas in massive zigzag pattern to taiga green leather trench coats and a rather divine bonded lambskin double-breasted beauty. Many carried majorly large triple pocket backpacks, all the better to heft around hefty tomes from Cervantes.

“It is winter and I wanted it to be about the coat, and the textural clash. Leather and cotton that then meets satin, or is finished with a leather piping. It’s about fragility. Working with our DNA and embedding that,” explained Anderson.

Anderson always keeps things quirky – hence the bizarre series of tied up fabric handles, which exposed hues swathes of flesh; and or the hounds’ tooth jackets cut with no lapels and Jesuit sleeves that finished past the tip of the fingers.

Though the Ulsterman’s greatest design strength will always be his dresses, either white Victoria schoolteacher frocks; or a marvelous robes composed of shards of ribbons.

The setting was, as usual, impeccable. Guests perched on reproductions of Godwin chairs, which will have a second life inside Loewe’s growing chain worldwide chain of boutiques. Along side wall hangings, abstract sculptures and a massive Arts & Crafts chimney brought over just for the show.

Like we said, calm and meditative.

A meditative moment at Loewe

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