By Marinieves Tejeda and Agnese Augusta Patriarca Bertoli. Cover image: Anano Esartia.
March 16, 2025, marked a turning point in Loewe’s storied history as Jonathan Anderson stepped down after 11 years of groundbreaking leadership. His creative direction transformed the brand into a beacon of experimentation and innovation. But with this shift comes a pressing question: can Loewe retain its avant-garde identity without the visionary who reshaped it? Here’s why Loewe should not have let Jonathan Anderson go.
Jonathan Anderson Leaves Loewe: Is it a Yes or No?
He Shaped Loewe as We Know It Today
Loewe’s current identity is largely the result of Anderson’s bold and disruptive vision. Under his direction, the brand has evolved from a house traditionally focused on luxury leather goods and understated elegance to a global leader in experimentation and innovation. Anderson’s main interest has always been to explore the connection between culture and fashion, introducing a fresh sense of luxury that feels modern and relevant. His ability to redefine the brand’s codes allowed him to experiment with new materials, silhouettes, and shapes, establishing Loewe as one of the most influential fashion houses today.
Jonathan Anderson’s Vision: How Experimentation and Innovation Reinvented Luxury at Loewe
Anderson’s experimental approach, combined with his talent for blending traditional craftsmanship with modernity, has resulted in iconic pieces that remain bestsellers. His passion for fashion was born in the theatre environment, and he has since transitioned to cinema, designing costumes for Guadagnino’s last films. Anderson’s vision is consistently fresh and revolutionary, pushing the boundaries between menswear and womenswear. He creates ageless, architectural garments that establish him as one of the greatest visionaries of this generation, bringing metatheater to the runaway.
The Puzzle Bag (2015) and the Elephant Bag (2021) are perfect examples of how he reinterpreted Loewe’s leatherwork heritage through an artistic and surreal aesthetic. His creativity has transformed the brand into a house where fashion and art coexist. Collections like Fall/Winter 2022, featuring inflated, balloon-like dresses and gravity-defying silhouettes, as well as Spring/Summer 2023, which wowed audiences with anthurium-shaped tops, showcased his ability to blur the line between reality and fantasy.
Iconic Loewe Fashion Collaborations That Made a Difference
One of Anderson’s defining characteristics is his commitment to integrating various creative disciplines into fashion. His collaborations with ceramist William De Morgan and his series inspired by Pablo Picasso reflected his artistic sensitivity and ability to reinterpret the past in a contemporary way. Other iconic collaborations are the ones with Howl’s Moving Castle (launched in 2023) and My Neighbor Totoro (released in 2021). Additionally, Anderson expanded Loewe’s horizons into the luxury sportswear market with a 2022 partnership with On Running. This move demonstrated his innovative spirit and versatility, as he seamlessly combined high-performance design with luxury fashion, appealing to a dynamic and forward-thinking audience. These collaborations not only amplified Loewe’s cultural relevance but also cemented Anderson’s position as one of the most visionary creative directors of his time, bringing a fresh, multi-dimensional approach to the world of fashion.
A Sustainability Revolution: Jonathan Anderson’s Grass-Grown Garments
Jonathan Anderson has long been at the forefront of fashion innovation, and one of his most remarkable contributions came through a collaboration with Escaloda, where he introduced a bold technique to grow grass directly onto clothing. This avant-garde approach merges fashion, nature, and technology, creating a captivating dialogue between the environment and design. Anderson’s work challenges traditional ideas of sustainability and permanence in fashion by incorporating living, evolving elements into garments. By blurring the lines between the natural and the constructed, he redefined luxury, offering not just clothing but a reimagined relationship between the body and its surroundings. This revolutionary technique invites us to rethink the boundaries of contemporary craftsmanship while exploring sustainability in a way that is both transformative and visionary.
Jonathan Anderson Leaves Loewe: what A Farewell
As a culmination of his tenure at Loewe, the Spring/Summer 2025 collection embraces the theme of “radical reduction,” focusing on minimalist design that highlights the essence of each garment. By revisiting the silhouettes and techniques that defined his journey with the brand, Anderson delivers a farewell message that underscores his impact and appreciation for this era. The collection stands as a testament to his legacy, redefining luxury through purity, craftsmanship, and understated brilliance. His signature modern luxury and sculptural tailoring were evident in the asymmetrical hand-gathered draping, which created a sense of dynamic movement, marking a powerful conclusion to his time at Loewe. Additionally, a book entitled “Crafted World” has recently been released to guide us through 11 years of the creative director’s work at Loewe.
Proenza Schouler Takes the Helm after Jonathan Anderson Leaves Loewe: A New Era or a Shift in Identity?
With the arrival of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the visionary founders of Proenza Schouler, Loewe is entering a new chapter. Having made a name for themselves in the competitive New York fashion scene, McCollough and Hernandez bring a fresh perspective to the iconic brand. However, as they step into Jonathan Anderson’s shoes, the question arises: can they preserve the experimental, artistic, and avant-garde spirit that Anderson so masterfully cultivated during his tenure? As Loewe transitions into this new era, all eyes are on whether these acclaimed designers will honor the legacy while carving out their own distinct imprint on the brand’s future.
