Loewe homes in on craft with Weaves collection
Spanish luxury fashion and leathergoods house Loewe has continued its well-established commitment to artisanship with Weaves, a collection dedicated to the decorative, structural craft of weaving.
Weaves initially launched in May with a first-of-its-kind consign partnership with international auction house Sotheby’s, which saw seven handmade traditional Galician chestnut roaster pots (pictured) made by Spain-based master potter Antonio Pereira and reimagined by artists Arko (from Japan), Min Chen (China) and Laia Arqueros (Spain) exhibited alongside Sotheby’s auctions of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art.
The holes punched in the pots, originally made to allow the chestnuts to roast, have been reappropriated by the artists, including by braiding or passing through leather strings, ribbons, wool threads, straw or feathers, for example.
Over 80 chestnut roasters were created in total, which included commissions by Spanish artisans Idoia Cuesta and Belen Martinez, in addition to creatives from Loewe’s own ateliers. Many of the embellishments have been created using surplus materials from past Loewe collections, the brand said in a press release. Some of the pots have been glazed or painted, while others have been left in their natural clay state.
All the roasters hand-picked for the auction house remain available to purchase at a fixed price from its online marketplace, while others are currently being advertised on social media as available in certain Loewe stores.
Beyond the pottery pieces, the house has reinterpreted several of its handbags, including the Balloon (featuring a garland of flowers made form leather offcuts) and Elephant bags (crafted in woven raffia) under the Weaves umbrella. Similarly, home and fashion accessories such as vases, door stoppers and bangles have all been woven, knotted and wrapped in calfskin leather.
“Craft is one of my main interests: one that I’ve made central to Loewe’s identity,” commented Loewe’s creative director, Jonathan Anderson.
Image: Loewe.
