With the warmth of craftsmanship and careful carving of each individual product, LOEWE’s craftsmanship spirit has never changed.
Recently, Jonathan Anderson, Creative Director of LOEWE, brought the brand’s 178 year heritage to the Shanghai Art Exhibition Center to hold its first large-scale exhibition – “Craftsmanship World”.
The entire exhibition area covers 1600 square meters, accommodating the brand’s 178 year history and thousands of exhibits. Fortunately, this large-scale brand exhibition did not become a boring and dull archive, after all, these two words do not even exist in LOEWE’s dictionary.
The atmosphere of spatial arrangement makes people feel more like visiting a friend who is good at telling stories.
He sincerely took out the most beautiful clothes and precious artworks, and talked about them, occasionally showing a humorous and playful side, stirring up the emotions of the visitors.
“Since its establishment in 178, LOEWE has always focused on craftsmanship. This exhibition pays tribute to all craftsmen around the world who have contributed, inspired, or created on-site exhibits for craftsmanship.”
Starting from the first sentence of the exhibition hall, “Craft” runs through the entire exhibition. When handicrafts have become one of the gimmicks of fashion business, LOEWE showcases the true spirit of craftsmanship.
This small leather workshop, originating in Madrid, was also acquired by LVMH Group and went global due to its determination, favored by people with taste.
In the exhibition hall, the key steps of selecting, cutting, coloring, and assembling several classic bags, including PUZZLE, Gate Dual, Hamlock, Flamenco, Fold, and hundreds of impact and wear resistance tests, also demonstrate the steadfastness of LOEWE.
In its production process, there may be modern techniques involved, but the time and effort spent on making a bag and a handle is the best manual production.
LOEWE was born in Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, located in the tropical island rainforest. The warm and vibrant country also injected a lively atmosphere into LOEWE.
Flowing with such DNA, LOEWE has become the first luxury brand to make straw woven bags.
Sensory Spain: The exhibition hall takes us to the depths of the palm green forest, where colorful grass woven bags are woven from materials such as palm leaves, raffles, and elephant grass. Soft leather is also woven into pineapples, watermelons, and shell leather goods. Picasso’s traditional hand-painted ceramic bowls and vessels are decorated, allowing us to feel the beautiful touch of natural wildness brought into life.
Fun fashion also occupies a large proportion, and the Fashion Unlimited exhibition hall gathers various clothing designs created by Jonathan Anderson for the brand since his appointment in 2013, including red shoes, red skirts, pixel sets, copper jackets, metal and plastic dresses, and many imaginative designs that once surprised people during Fashion Week, presenting them one by one.
The stories and characters from “Totoro”, “Hal’s Moving Castle”, and “Spirited Away” that once made us cry vividly appear on LOEWE’s bags and clothes, evoking the emotions we gained in the movie and reluctant to leave for a long time.
In addition, the “treasure hunt” activity that many adults and children are passionate about has added interactive fun to watching exhibitions. Each exhibition hall hides miniature animals waiting to be discovered.
LOEWE’s respect for art is also reflected in his care for craftsmanship, nature, and the female community.
Due to the impact of the epidemic, the LOEWE Foundation has provided funding for the struggling Ghibli Museum of Art for three consecutive years, which has led to a joint series of collaborations between LOEWE and Ghibli Studios due to their shared spirit of craftsmanship and traditional handicrafts.
Grass woven bags and bead string are designed to preserve the local handicraft culture and help local women become independent.
There are also classic elephant leather bags and grass woven bags, and the sales revenue is actively contributing to the protection of elephants.
In 2016, Jonathan Anderson founded the LOEWE Loewe Foundation Craft Award, which recognizes and rewards outstanding achievements in contemporary handicrafts worldwide. Works related to home furnishings, fashion, life, and art are also exhibited in the exhibition hall.
