Loewe

In 2013, Jonathan Anderson was named creative director at Loewe, and quickly turned it into one of the most influential forces in fashion. Hailing from Northern Ireland and having launched his eponymous brand in London just five years earlier, Anderson zeroed-in the Spanish label’s legacy of leather-making, and combined it with an unbridled passion for experimentation with craft, materials, and silhouettes.

Originally founded in 1846 in Spain as a collective of leather artisans, the Loewe brand is named after Enrique Loewe, a German craftsman, who joined the collective in 1876 and unified their operation. Loewe was appointed as Royal Purveyor of Leather Goods by the Spanish Monarchy in 1905, and it began producing ready-to-wear in the 1960s (Karl Lagerlfeld and Giorgio Armani both did early stints designing the womenswear). In 1996, a little over 20 years after the artist Vicente Vela created the signature “L” anagram,” LVMH acquired the brand and set about to re-energizing its women’s offerings; first with Narciso Rodriguez in 1997 and later with José Enrique Oña Selfa in 2001. Via Stuart Vevers, who began as creative director in 2008, Loewe found a new It-bag, when the designer brought back the “Amazona,” a small geometric carry-all satchel originally launched in 1975.

In the decade since he was named creative director, Anderson has diversified Loewe’s offerings to include home goods and fragrances, as well as “Loewe Paula’s Ibiza,” a seasonal capsule collection inspired by the iconic Spanish store; and ready-to-wear and leather goods collaborations with a diverse array of artists, from the estate of David Wojnarowicz to Studio Ghibli. Anderson also founded the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, the world’s first international award for contemporary craft whose aim is to “acknowledge and support artisans who demonstrate an exceptional ability to create objects of superior aesthetic value,” and awards a cash prize. During his tenure, Anderson has redefined how a luxury label can elevate the art of craft, while remaining a relevant part of the conversation with the culture that surrounds it.