From leather goods workshop to fashion house: Loewe is celebrating 180 years

The Spanish fashion house Loewe was founded in 1846 as a small leather goods workshop in Madrid. Almost two centuries later, it has established itself as the second oldest active luxury house in the world, right after Hermès. The brand owes this to its constant will to change, which has ensured its continued existence.

The history of the brand is also discussed in the animated short film, narrated by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, which accompanies this anniversary. It harkens back to the original workshop where Spanish artisans handcrafted leather wallets, bags and everyday items. The arrival of a German merchant who purchased the business and gave it his surname – “Loewe” (lion) – marked the beginning of a new era. Shortly afterwards the house became a supplier to the Spanish royal family and thus consolidated its reputation.

Over the course of the 20th century, Loewe accompanied the cultural and social changes of his time. This ranged from the connection to the film world and the legends surrounding personalities such as Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner to the expansion into ready-to-wear in the 1960s. In this context, the ‘Amazona’ bag was created, conceived as a symbol of a new idea of ​​female independence. In 1988, the founding of the Loewe Foundation also strengthened the commitment to art and crafts. This cemented a vision in which time does not run linearly, but is constantly reinterpreted.

Today, the brand’s historical archive is not seen as a nostalgic repository, but as a living space for research, experiments and aesthetic reinvention. Under the creative direction of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Loewe celebrates its 180th anniversary, reaffirming the very tension between heritage and innovation that has characterized its development.

The celebrations will be implemented through a global campaign by US artist Talia Chetrit. The campaign brings together a number of cultural and creative figures, including Julia Garner, Salma Abu Deif, Giselle, Kara Wai, Sissy Spacek and Kara Walker. Together they create a multi-voiced narrative that connects different generations and disciplines under a common idea: heritage as a constantly evolving process.

The campaign is based on a reinterpretation of the house archives through some of its most iconic bags. These include the ‘Flamenco’ from the 1980s, the ‘Puzzle’ from 2015 and the new ‘Amazona 180’, a contemporary reissue of the original 1975 design.

The same approach extends to a capsule collection, available from June 3, that applies the campaign’s codes to ready-to-wear, accessories and leather goods. Lion motifs, a direct reference to the etymological origins of Loewe, run as a common thread through garments, embroidery and charms. They reinforce the symbolic continuity between past and present.

The project is completed by a special edition of ‘Loewe Magazine Issue 11’. This expands the cultural dimension of the initiative by positioning the archive as an active space for reinterpretation.