What is Loewe, the brand that Anna Wintour wore to the Met Gala and is everywhere these days?

The prestigious Met Gala, organized by Vogue-editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, is not only an annual highlight for acting and singing Hollywood, the fashion houses also jostle to dress the superstars.

And in addition to classics such as Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana and Schiaparelli, the German-Spanish Loewe, part of luxury conglomerate LVMH, also appeared. Not only around the body of Ariana Grande, Josh O’Connor and Taylor Russell and organizer Anna Wintour, but also as one of the major sponsors of the pompous event.

Not coincidentally, because the fashion house, which was founded in 1872 by the German Heinrich Loewe Rössberg and the Madridians José Silva and Florencio Rivas, shifted a few gears higher in 2013 and has since grown as the house of craftsmanship within the fashion industry.

An achievement that they mainly owe to one man: the Irishman Jonathan William Anderson. The designer, who is also still the creative director of his own fashion label of the same name, went on a whirlwind tour. He modernized the logo and font, created a fashion line for men and expanded the women’s collection.

Paris

But it didn’t stop there. He also moved the brand’s headquarters, which had been located in Madrid since its founding, to the fashion capital Paris and presented his first women’s collection there during the prestigious fashion week. Despite the move – production remained in Spain – he did not ignore the history of the fashion house.

He took his inspiration from Ibiza in the seventies, which immediately hit like a bomb. Fashion critics at the time spoke of a true revival and wondered whether the fashion house would ever achieve the coveted ‘it status’. He overturned Loewe’s conservative reputation, which was mainly established under his predecessors José Enrique Oña Selfa, born in Belgium, and Narciso Rodriguez.

Anderson time and again opts for collections that are a mix of design and art, which hint at the metaverse, the virtual 3D world. Needless to say, he rejuvenates Loewe’s customer base by about twenty years.

Hip

The result? His designs were noticed by the hip-hop world and famous R&B stars. Beyoncé, for example, opted for a Loewe catsuit during her Renaissance tour. Rihanna is also a regular customer. The red outfit she wore during her 2023 Super Bowl performance is just one example. It briefly earned Loewe the title of ‘most popular fashion house’ in the second quarter.

Hip, but not only world stars like to fill their dressings with Loewe. The Spanish royal family, whether out of healthy chauvinism or not, also knows its way to the fashion house. Queens Sofia and Letizia are seen several times with a Loewe handbag, a nod to the past because Loewe once started as a leather goods fashion house.

And the attention for Loewe has not gone unnoticed by Asian fashionistas. The brand’s sales increased and Anderson rode the popular K-pop bandwagon. He appointed two ambassadors, the South Korean rapper Taeyong and the girl band Nmixx, and wants to further win the hearts of their fans. Or better: he wants to conquer the Asian market.

All these efforts paid off: they have earned him numerous awards over the last ten years. For example, he was the first designer to be rewarded with both the title of men’s and women’s fashion designer of the year at the British fashion awards. He is also no longer just creative director at the brand, in 2018 he also joined the board of directors.

What exactly makes the combination of Anderson and Loewe so successful is actually simple: Anderson looks at Anderson. He does not look at other fashion houses, leaves popular trends such as tenniscore and mob wives pass him by, and always works around his own concept. Sometimes the Ibiza of yesteryear, other times flowers from York, England. But they are always architectural gems. Art, with a nod to the metaverse. Perhaps the best of both worlds.