Junya Watanabe for Loewe
A storied Spanish house and a Japanese master of avant garde fashion seem like the most unlikely of bedfellows, but in the world of fashion collaborations, the only rule is that there are no rules. For every collab that we think makes sense (Missoni and Target, for example) we get a slew of head-scratchers, such as Cynthia Rowley for Pampers or Betsey Johnson for Tweezerman. But sometimes the most disparate of fashion brands come together for something so spectacular that the only thing to do is sit back and admire the creative chutzpah, which is exactly the result of pairing Junya Wantanabe and Loewe.
Junya Watanabe for Loewe
The idea of a bad girl or bad boy carrying a Loewe bag was what this was based on,” said Stuart Vevers, the creative director of Loewe. “Junya did the wigs, I did the red lips. We deliberately wanted it to be surprising. The biggest part of my mission at Loewe has been to rejuvenate the brand and raise its profile. I very much saw this collaboration as a big step in that direction.”
The two brands couldn’t be further apart on the sartorial spectrum. Loewe is an LVMH-owned luxury leather goods company based in Spain and known for outfitting the Spanish crown, including production of the Her Majesty Isabel II of Bourbon and Princess Maria Luisa Fernanda’s wedding gowns and then providing the Spanish royal family with leather goods. Junya Wantanabe is Comme des Garçons’ very own wild child, producing voluminous puffer coats paired with Chanel-inspired chains one season and Tim Burton-style black lace beekeeper’s hats the next. But together, the two labels are making sartorial magic with their punk-inspired collection of men’s and women’s wear to be sold at Loewe stores worldwide.
Junya Watanabe for Loewe
“To tie together Loewe and Junya Watanabe, I came up with the idea of combining the essence of each of their icons: leather and denim,” said Watanabe to The Japan Times. “A combination of the luxurious and the casual.”
While the Loewe label is still under-the-radar here in the United States, it’s a stalwart in Europe, where the brand has been going strong since 1846. Not surprisingly, Japan — a nation known for obsessing over European and American heritage labels — is one of Loewe’s biggest markets, with the label is carried in 40 eponymous boutiques. (Of note: There are more Loewe stores in Japan than anywhere else in the world.) The collection also celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first Loewe store opening in Japan as well as the 400th anniversary of Japanese samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga’s historic trip to Europe, which marked the beginning of trade between Japan and many European nations.
Junya Watanabe for Loewe
The Junya Watanabe for Loewe collection debuted at the Spanish embassy in Tokyo, showing a mashup of punk staples such as ripped leggings, inky black leather and plaid in every color you can imagine. But staying true to the Loewe MO, there were also meticulously crafted bags. Patchwork leather satchels — while hard and angular to the eye — were crafted from soft leather. Before the debut of this collaboration, Vevers worked with Watanabe on his namesake collection, crafting handbags for the designer’s runway show last spring.
The capsule collection includes house signatures from both brands. Leather from Loewe in used on jackets and pants as well as the label’s iconic Amazona bags and Watanabe’s polka dots and tartan also feature heavily. The Amazona is the the star, however, with a front panel crafted in Japan at the Watanabe atelier and the rest of the bag pieced together in Madrid using Spanish craftsmanship and fine Loewe leather. With a pedigree that spans continents, it might just be the It bag that punks, preps and passionate collectors will all be clamoring for this summer. The collection, including the special edition Amazona bag, will go on sale worldwide in August.
Photos courtesy Loewe
