Populating the LOEWE Men’s Spring Summer 2020 show space inside the auditorium of the Maison de l’UNESCO, nine works by the London- based artist Hilary Lloyd are shown on monitors mounted on vertical chrome columns and trolleys. Spanning almost a decade (2008-17), the works examine aspects of the natural and built worlds, often capturing off the-cuff or staged moments from the artist’s everyday experience.
The shifting character of Lloyd’s gaze —fixed, fluid or fractured— combines with an emphasis on the physical apparatus of the installation to imbue her work with sculptural presence and subliminal eroticism. From near-static works such as Shirt and Plant to the looping repetition or disco-style strobing of Easter Bunny and Jewellery, Lloyd’s works resist classical notions of duration whilst imposing a formalised, architectural frame.
In dialogue with Lloyd’s work, the collection invokes otherworldly perspectives of the day-to-day through a dream-like filter. Long and pure, the silhouette revolves around harmonious ensembles of texture and line disrupted, at times, by the tension of new volumes. Affirming LOEWE’s dedication to global craft, the house signature oro ‘cashmere’ suede mingles with locally-woven textiles in tunic and caftan shapes with split placket and buckled yoke details. From Bangladesh: hand-embroidered red and white cotton; from Burkina Faso: hand-dyed and woven indigo cloth; and from Japan: ultrafine blue linen denim and punched cotton gauze.
Complementing nautical archetypes from sailor’s shirts to washed silk dungarees, monochrome short suits in layers of poplin and voile meet airy knits and tanks in chevron or vertical stripes. Technical satin appears in accents on dry wool tuxedos or as an unlined raglan trench coat, as the new LOEWE tailoring returns with a relaxed two-button peaked lapel blazer. Moon disc pendants are worn like totems, and organza lilies sprout marabou feathers as earrings and a brooch.
Expanding on the season’s nomadic mood, thatched moccasins, suede link sandals and boat shoes evoke outdoor summer pursuits, as lace-up boots in espadrille stripes channel LOEWE’s Spanish roots. The geometric Berlingo shoulder bag is introduced in a large size in suede, toile and calfskin. The iconic Puzzle bag is revisited in a deconstructed silhouette in supple smooth calf leather, and a new Shopper Backpack in soft napa calf leather references LOEWE’s leather savoir-faire.
A luminous cotton sculpture by the German artist Franz Erhard Walther occupies the LOEWE show space inside Maison de l’UNESCO, as the focal point of the first-ever men’s LOEWE runway show by Creative Director Jonathan Anderson. Entitled Gelbe Modellierung (1985), the sliced and segmented canvas ‘wall formation’ work stems from the artist’s performative practice, encouraging the viewer to interact with its wardrobing elements: in this case, two jackets and two trouser legs joined to its compartmentalised yellow surface.
In conversation with the Fall Winter 2019-20 Men’s collection, the work suggests hybrid abstraction at a human scale, where both a garment’s utility and its connotation are called into question. By re-thinking fabrication and scale, LOEWE craftmanship materialises in unexpected ways – uniting incongruous ideals of masculinity where the worlds of sartorial tradition and team sports collide. Inshearling and camel cashmere, outerwear pieces elevate the everyday.
Trompel’oeil arrives in tufted shearling and stamped croc, culminating in plush pastel leather quilting or a greatcoat fashioned from fringed cashmere scarves. Above unzipped calfskin waders, distended jerseys and tunics recall trail blankets and rugby stripes. Long knits collect relics: beads like pebbles, and naïve life drawings, whilst bound thread work cardigans evoke raw process. Like Walther’s peeling forms, hyper-extended shirt sleeves peek from beneath the new LOEWE tuxedo – a nipped 2-button suit with asymmetric lapels.
The signature Puzzle bag appears in burnished hand-braided leather, and thegiant Gate saddlebag is unveiled formen. #LOEWE#LOEWEFW19
Ceramics, lamps, objects and furniture of various provenance and periods mix equally with contemporary works to convey a personal, committed, credible and of-the-moment viewpoint. More than a mere backdrop, the environment’s rich cultural resonance permeates the collection.
Past present and future collide in highly sensual, super-organic clothes, brimming with examples of extreme workmanship and a sense of craft so optimized it seems to vanish, as precisely calibrated imperfections inform every seam, collar and closure, among other details.
A feminine silhouette is complemented with dramatic volumes, evident in the bold gesture of a balloon blouse, the exaggerated proportions of a sleeve, and recurrent fringing. Familiar ideas —lace, ruffles, the bias cut— are dismantled, abstracted and recreated for today, while domestic elements, such as tablecloths and undergarments, serve as unexpected sources of inspiration.
Pleating is manipulated with innovative washing and stitching techniques to appear woven and worn-in. A napa dress, slashed and reassembled with crochet, is fragile and sporty at once. A series of black industrial summer looks balances the overall softness of the collection.
Every look is grounded and articulated around a bag. The new shapes of the Hammock bag and the rounded trapeze shape of the new Canoe bag add to the vocabulary of the house’s existing iconic styles, which are reinterpreted here in fresh iterations. A novel entry to the Flamenco family transposes a vibrant carpet design onto suede using an special printing method, resulting in a striking three-dimensional effect.
Extraordinary jewelry rounds out the collection. Apart from a lucky ceramic bat necklace and sculptural silver bracelets inspired by an Ikebana vase, the season’s standout accessory is a calla lily handmade from calfskin, available in stores in various colours on the day of the show.
Fall Winter 2015 revisits the woman introduced last season, adding functional pieces for a different facet of her life, a moment of realistic futurism. Set in grey suede, the pastel spectrum of a napa panel top opens the collection, establishing a theme of texture and colour.
A science-inspired aesthetic is shot through with everyday elements for a pragmatic, decidedly modern character. Silhouette is fluid and columnar, epitomised by wide herringbone trousers and accentuated with structured and graphic elements.
Materials encompass a variety of leather, maximising house knowledge and craftsmanship to construct garments that are of this moment in cut, touch and look. Lightness pervades, as do contrasts and material experimentation: Suede, stamped with a disorienting graphic pattern, acquires new visual complexity.
Gold, silver, and vibrant hues of red and turquoise are tempered with classic fabrics and tones. The grainy texture of an architectural buffalo bomber balances the super-supple lambskin used for lab dresses and tunics.
Patent leather and metallics reinterpret the scientific inspiration, while pleats occur in mercury-like lamé as well as engineered in suede.
Outerwear pieces dominate on the exterior; inside, a nylon silk knit top functions as a second skin under every look of the collection.
Colours reflect the diverse shading of contemporary life and with the Barcelona, a new shoulder bag joins the strong identity of the Puzzle, expanding a complementary, universal edit for woman.
The first creator of high quality products worldwide, present in 195 countries, LVMH is the savoir-faire ambassador of high tradition throughout the world. In every single country, 83.000 collaborators refresh the soul of over 60 prestigious maisons, in fashion, leather, perfume, cosmetology, wine, alcohol, watch-making and jewelry sectors.
For two days, during the Journées Particulières, LVMH will open to the general public 25 of its most symbolic sites: in Paris and several other regions in Italy, Spain, U.K. and Poland.
In Paris Christian Dior’s Haute Couture Halls , Louis Vuitton’s Asnier Ateliers, Givenchy’s Haute Couture Halls.
In Spain, Madrid, the historical Boutique of Gran Via of Loewe, in Italy, Villa Pucci di Granaiolo in Tuscany, the Palazzo Fendi in Rome, the Manufacture de Souliers Louis Vuitton, Fiesso D’Artico in Veneto.
The LVMH group appealing to famous international architects, retrains many buildings, giving them back a terrific asset value, achieving remarkable contemporary projects which will be a part of the architectural Heritage in the years to come.
Within this architectural frame the most talented artisans are working.
The main aim of the Journées Particulières is to detect the genuine nature of fine high quality. Supported by an ancient and precious handicraft heritage, the LVMH cherishes and reinvents the tradition of excellence, which alllows its Maisons to establish themselves all over the world.
The path made by Maisons leads us to discover cultural heritage. Handicraft demonstrations, conferences and expos put in first place jobs regarding wine and alcohol, fashion and leather, perfume and cosmetology, watch-making and jewelry.
Within ateliers, wineries, family dwellings and historical boutiques, LVMH will share the casket that contains such beauty with the general public.
Entry to the Journées Pariculières is free and open to everyone, at the Maisons which participate in this operation.
For more info click on the website: www.lesjourneesparticulieres.com
Louis Vuitton The Shoe Factory in Fiesso d’Artico – Les Journées Particulières
