It’s not every day that Vogue dubs a brand “the avant-garde competitor of Hermès,” but that’s exactly what the magazine said of the Loewe Fall 2016 show in Paris on Friday. Based on the collection photos and the brand’s work under Jonathan Anderson so far, there’s a compelling case that the magazine is right.
With Anderson at the helm, Loewe’s bags have been consistently excellent but difficult. Designs like the increasingly popular Puzzle Bag don’t appeal to the parts of the brain that fall in love with something obviously and easily luxurious, like a fur coat or Chanel Classic Flap Bag. They take a little time, a particular eye and maybe some patience. They’re risky, but in the right places.
Those risks are couched in and softened by Loewe’s long heritage and excellent leather and workmanship, and so far, they’ve paid off. Every season’s runway has a couple standouts, and for Fall 2016, the riff on the Amazona that shows the bag’s multiple available sizes all together feels like a clever comment on how designer bags are marketed while still maintaining its status as a functional designer bag. Check out all the runway options below.
[Photos via Vogue Runway]
