Loewe and The Rise of Craftsmanship
The fashion world, for all intents and purposes, has ground to somewhat of a halt. Between the US election, the continuation of lockdowns in the West, and no clear and immediate solution in sight to the COVID crisis, we are all stuck somewhat in a limbo, with few certainties.
For a brief moment, there seemed to be a jolt of electricity through the industry. Fashion weeks in Milan and Paris sprung to life, celebs were spotted and shows were executed in a socially distant (of course) manner, but this ground to a deep halt when it became clear it could not continue for nothing longer than a brief moment.
And so, after our breath of fresh air, the industry has again curled into hibernation. It has become clear over the course of 2020 that the luxury sector will of course rebound, and this has remained somewhat of a surety during the COVID crisis (bolstered mostly by spending in China). The US still is in somewhat of a wholesale pause- and retail has suffered greatly because of uncertainty surrounding the election. Europe lumbers along sleepily, faced with continuing lockdowns and a potentially very quiet Christmas season leaving department stores struggling to pivot, and the UK continues to ensure the death of the High Street through its inane and at times insane lockdown policies (excuse me).
But all of this aside- while we do not know what is coming next, and while we understand that industry can and will rebound, I want to turn to a moment to focus on the content of the industry and who has turned out to be a pioneer of ‘what’s next’ during this time. For this, I look directly to Jonathan Anderson, creator of the eponymous JW Anderson label, and Creative director at Loewe.
Perhaps it is sitting in Madrid right now (which always inspires me to look to Loewe), but I will say that the work done by Anderson has been a quiet standout during this pandemic time. Anderson is a specific and particular harbinger of what’s to come, directly on key with the cultural zeitgeist in the fashion world
And so what are his, and by extension Loewe’s keywords for the future? I would point to Crafts, Artisanship, Sustainability, Stories and Meaning. Anderson continually draws attention to the craftsmen and collaborators behind his work. Whether that be basket weavers, pottery makers or fisherman, Anderson has a reverence for Artisans that is refreshingly modern and unique. And his response to the pandemic has been deeply human and compassionate in nature. To quote:
“It’s imperative after [this pandemic] that we start to better understand how we make things and who makes them and not take them for granted,” he says. “When we know the story of a product that’s made well, we’ll buy things that will last longer.”
And there we have it. Though the pandemic has not left us (as we desperately wish it would), the future is a place with a focus on the person behind the product. The winners will be luxury brands of course, but at a deeper level consumers at a base level are now looking for products with a story, those with a human element, that can deliver meaning, and will last the rest of time as a result.
For more, see the video below:
