Why Loewe’s ‘Crafted World’ Exhibition In Shanghai Is A Must-See
By the way, it’s pronounced as “Lo-Weh-Vay”.
Loewe’s spectacular new exhibition is now open to the public in the Shanghai Exhibition Centre with amazing vignettes of Loewe’s past and present on display. Titled ‘Crafted World’, this is the brand’s first retrospective; and it is curated by its visionary Creative Director, Jonathan Anderson, who has successfully made his own mark in the House’s 178-year history.
The ‘Crafted World’ exhibition showcases the entire universe of Loewe, from the brand’s earlier days as a leather-making collective in Madrid in 1846 and receiving its seal of approval from the Spanish Royal Family to the brand’s current state of being one of industry’s leading luxury fashion houses under the LVMH umbrella. The exhibition gives a peek into the world of Loewe, replete with the brand’s idiosyncratic playfulness that it has become known for.
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“The reason I want to do the exhibition is because I wanted to tell a story, which I think might be obvious to me, but might not be obvious to everyone and put them all underneath one roof,” Anderson explained during an interview before the opening.
In the ten years that the British designer has been at the helm of the Spanish house, he has brought joy back in fashion through humour and wit that he injects into Loewe’s DNA—not even counting his many other artistic endeavours that Loewe is involved with, including the Loewe Foundation and the annual Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.
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Anderson further explained, “I wanted to put culture at the forefront of the brand rather than it just being about luxury products. I didn’t know what I was saying when I made that statement ten years ago, but now when I see the exhibition, after I’ve been with the brand for a period of time, it all makes sense. We wouldn’t have a brand without all the crafts, the art collaborations, the idea of Poetry Prize and the Craft Prize. It’s got to do with the culture of it.”
‘Crafted World’ is two years in the making and unfolds over 1,600 square metres, plus the courtyard of the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, and features plenty of surprises along the way. These include super-sized leather sculptures; an ascending “pronunciation tunnel” designed to help visitors learn how to say the brand’s name (it’s “Lo-Weh-Vay” by the way); a series of knee-high exhibits for children to interact with; and a moving, suspended flower garden set inside an infinite hall of mirrors, to name just a few. The exhibition is curated around six thematic chapters showcasing the house’s progressive approach to fashion and the culture of craft.
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The exhibition also showcases artworks by Loewe collaborators such as the late artist Ken Price, collage artist Joe Brainard, a dedicated room to Loewe’s blockbuster collaboration with Studio Ghibli, and pieces from the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, which supports artisans from all over the world. You’ll also find some of Loewe’s runway and red-carpet hits created by Jonathan Anderson, including the red moulded corset and dungaree worn by the then-pregnant Rihanna for her historic Super Bowl HalfTime performance in 2023, as well as the custom Loewe look worn by Beyonce for her Renaissance World Tour.
Anderson even allows the public to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the makings of Loewe’s most coveted bags like the Puzzle and the Squeeze bags, through a series of vignettes that show the mechanised processes and the meticulous craft that goes behind them.
“The reason why I wanted to show it is, as a society, we have this thing of the ready-made—when we see it in a store, we do not think of how it was made. I wanted to be able to show that there is huge amounts of technology, there is huge amounts of craft, and there’s huge amounts of engineering that goes into making a bag.”
He continued, “Some of the bags have hundreds of components and processes to get to. I think sometimes—and I am like this too—we forget about the process. I think it’s to humanise the process and realise that yes, machines are involved, but fundamentally it is led by men to make something. You take this very precious material, it has to be utilised in a respectful way. I think this is what I hope, for the exhibition: people start to see that things take time.”
Loewe’s ‘Crafted World’ exhibition is on from now to 5 May 2024 at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre.