Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1525926
C O U R T E S Y O F LO E W E / L AU R A H I N S T I N , M O L LY LO W E At the Shops, Loewe's tiled facade is dyed in shades of palm green—not unlike that verdant show space in Paris where Anderson staged his Fall/ Winter 2024 collection. Inside the store, a joyful Miami-inspired palette of green, aquamarine, and coral flood the art- and design-filled space: Utrecht armchairs, an Isamu Noguchi lamp, and works by an array of contemporary artists, such as a piece by Enrico David that imagines the human form in willow, wheat, and lavender, elevate the retail experience. Woven through this spatial tapestry are the clothes, leather goods, sunglasses, fragrances, jewelry, and more, all of which embody and uphold Anderson's idiosyncratic inventiveness. It's close, even, to taking on a surreal patina; it's a veritable art gallery replete with scents of tomato leaves or lemongrass wasabi; leather keychains depicting parrots and lobsters; and denim with seamless drapes that make the trousers look more like sculpture than clothing. Anderson, who's from Northern Ireland, has a penchant for threading a sort of warm-weather joyousness and ebullience through his imaginative construction. This is, in itself, a remarkable skill; ambitious curation can sometimes come across as weighed down by rigor, but with Loewe, it's all mostly effortless. The Shops' boutique, for example, features serious works, but the space's polychrome tiling and unobtrusive layout make for easy browsing. This feeling—it's almost an energetic feeling—is enhanced by Anderson's ability to also embed pop-culture frivolity into his earnestness. See, for example, his involvement as costume designer for the tennis-centric movie Challengers—and all of the iconic sport-themed press tour looks worn by its star, Zendaya. (Yes, Anderson made those tennis-ball heels.) Or just look at Loewe's TikTok account and read a few of its captions. With its online, Gen Z humor, you might think Loewe's social media presence would feel anathema to its IRL artistic ardor—and yet, it doesn't. Somehow, Anderson has been able to oversee and blend disparate corners of the zeitgeist into one big unorthodox universe. The brand's emphasis on craft was on full display this season with its numerous intricately beaded looks. Models backstage at the F/W show in Paris LOEWE Mini Squeeze bag in beaded leather