It was founded before the Eiffel Tower was built or the light bulb was invented. Loewe celebrates 180 years of history by taking an emotional and inspiring journey through its history and that of the world over almost two centuries, highlighting the persistence of its brand philosophy around craftsmanship as an art form and imagination as a tool.
The Spanish brand has teamed up with illustrator and designer Joanna Blémont, known for her watercolor technique, to create a captivating film that presents itself as a hand-painted love letter to Loewe’s 180 years. The piece, as the brand has shared, required more than 2,000 sheets of watercolor paper created by hand and a team of 10 painters to bring each frame to life.
Spanish actor Antonio Banderas lends his voice to narrate an animated journey through the company’s history. Its birth in 1846 in a modest leather goods workshop in Madrid and its evolution to consolidate itself as the second oldest luxury fashion house in the world, as well as some of its most notable designs, are intertwined with key cultural moments, such as the invention of the telephone, the first film screening or the landing on the Moon.
“From our origins as a small workshop in Madrid, the house has evolved into an international creative force that maintains a close relationship with craftsmanship and excellence in leather work.“, commented the brand in a space dedicated to the achievement of the milestone on its website. “From 1846 to the present, we celebrate almost two centuries of craftsmanship as art, imagination as a tool, and the distinctive, joyful spirit of Loewe.”.
In a reflection of this permanent commitment to craftsmanship, Loewe has shared images and videos of the creation process of the piece, which was produced by Blinkink and directed by Isabel Garrett. Instagram posts show how each plane of the artistic piece has been hand-painted with watercolor.
The campaign to commemorate Loewe’s 180th anniversary includes, among other things, activations in the brand’s stores around the world. On the website created for the occasion, it encourages users to subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed of the experiences that will be offered in its different establishments.
It has also created an online game that invites you to test yourself and classify, in 20 seconds, historical events based on whether they occurred before or after the creation of Loewe. Users will be able to access prizes if they provide their contact information.
On the other hand, Loewe has created a capsule collection to pay tribute to its almost two centuries of history. All the garments and accessories, among which you can find t-shirts, some of their emblematic reimagined bags or key chains, show an illustration of a lion, a nod to the meaning of Loewe (lion, in German), as well as the year the brand was founded, 1846; and his city of origin, Madrid. It will be available from June 3 in a selection of stores and through its e-commerce platform.
The collection is communicated with an advertisement starring the actresses Sissy Spacek, Julia Garner, Salma Abu Deif, Kara Wai, the singer Giselle and the artist Kara Walker, who pose in a relaxed attitude with the different pieces. Talia Chetrit has been in charge of the campaign photographs.
