Beautiful Monstrosities

British ceramicist William De Morgan’s fantastical artworks continues Loewe’s arts and crafts-driven capsule collections. And, as creative director Jonathan Anderson tells us, cements the importance of a world beyond just fashion for Loewe.

- Asri Jasman

“I sometimes make the joke of describing the collection as being like Halloween at Christmas,” Jonathan Anderson quips. Look through the Loewe De Morgan capsule collection and you’d immediately realise how apt that description is. “There’s something quite liberating in the idea that you can juxtapose two things to make a fantasy narrative.”

For the past six years since helming the creative direction of the Spanish luxury fashion house, Anderson has taken clear steps in differentiating Loewe from the rest. Loewe has its roots in leather goods craftsmanship. And Anderson hasn’t completely overhauled the brand, but rather, expanded its idea of craftsmanship.

Instead of pursuing collaborations with other brands or designers, or even creating celebrity-fronted collections, Loewe has always been crafts first. “I have never wanted to build a luxury brand, but a cultural brand. We have been collaborating with artists from different fields as it’s the best way to enrich the brand,” Anderson explains. These artists include British textile designer William Morris and Scottish artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh— both personal “arts and crafts heroes” to Anderson.