Doing a travel-themed collection is risky, because the designer might easily slip down the pitfall of clichés. But such terms like ‘oriental’, ‘cowboy’ or ‘tribal’ don’t match Jonathan Anderson‘s sophisticated line-up for Loewe. “I want something that people will want to go and touch,” he told the press after the show. Actually, you really want to touch these clothes. The richness of textures is just insane. And it’s even more absorbing, when you realise that each piece has its story, an entire cultural identity behind it. Like a de luxe globe-trotter, the Loewe woman has African and South American traditional handicraft all over her wardrobe; the woven pieces were made according to traditional Peruvian techniques, while fringed sarong skirt seemed to come straight from Argentina. She’s been to Morocco, too, from where the season’s must-have elf-toed sneakers origin – Anderson based the idea on woven sandals coming from that country. Again, another designer would carelessly go a step further and touch the soft topic of cultural appropriation. Anderson plays fair, he finds inspiration and does it with great respect.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
