Since his appointment at Loewe in 2013, talented British designer Jonathan Anderson has been fixated on blurring the boundaries between fashion and culture. The Spanish house has launched an exclusive capsule collection inspired by legendary British textile designer, architect, activist and artist William Morris. “I have always liked the works of William Morris,” says Anderson. “I was totally obsessed with his chairs and furniture before the prints.” A pioneer of the Arts and Crafts design movement during the 19th century, Morris was best known for his intricate and highly colourful wallpaper and fabric design. Anderson was granted access to the Morris & Co. archives and selected four iconic original prints which are referenced throughout the collection. Anderson’s interpretation sees the selection of prints painstakingly hand-knit onto jumpers, printed onto some of Loewe’s signature handbags and hand painted onto leather jackets. Anderson imbued elements of punk into the pieces, “To me William Morris has a radical approach to design. For this collection I liked the idea of mixing his classic prints with the punk movement in Britain,” explains Anderson. “No matter what you do, your work always contains elements from the past. I love observing past styles, but I did not grow up in that age, so subjectively, they are nonexistent for me, in the end I have to give it a new character. Therefore, we keep generating different perspectives, while clothing technology also keeps innovating.”
The lookbook for the collection was shot at Standen House – an iconic Arts & Crafts home decorated by Morris. Shot amidst the lush green gardens and Morris-papered walls, the images embody a dreamy nostalgia. Despite living a century apart, Anderson and Morris have plenty in common, both have played a large role in preserving and promoting craft. During his tenure at Loewe so far, Anderson has implanted the Loewe Craft Prize – design to foster and promote talented artisans from across the globe. “Right now, it’s all about the craft, for me that’s where the innovation comes from. Craft is incredibly important and its sometimes underestimated in terms of contemporary art, but I think it’s an incredible tangible thing. To me, collaborating with artists is the best way to enrich the brand.”
The collection is available to purchase in Loewe stores and on loewe.com, scroll through the gallery to see the lookbook images.
