A Love Letter to Jonathan Anderson’s Loewe: The Imaginative, The Impractical, and the Incomparable
By Akanksha Kamath
When news broke that Jonathan Anderson would be stepping down from Loewe, I found myself unexpectedly wistful — the kind of fashion sadness reserved for the end of a really great chapter, when you know the next one might be good, but it’ll never be quite the same.
Anderson’s Loewe wasn’t just a tenure; it was a transformation. Eleven years at the helm of the Spanish house, and somehow he made it feel like his own eccentric little theatre — a place where sculptural silhouettes, surreal accessories, and unapologetic imagination danced alongside exquisite craftsmanship. Few designers can claim to have stretched the vocabulary of luxury fashion quite the way he has.
I still remember when I saw that pigeon clutch — yes, the one Sarah Jessica Parker (or should I say Carrie Bradshaw) carried in And Just Like That. A hyper-realistic bird bag, clutched with nonchalance as if it were any other It-accessory. Utterly absurd, yet entirely brilliant. It summed up everything I love about Anderson’s vision: the surrealist streak, the wink of humour, the refusal to play it safe. (Let the record show: it was JW Anderson’s eponymous brand and not Loewe that was the maker of the pigeon clutch. But how emblematic was it of his weird and wonderful vision, even at the Spanish fashion house that he held the simultaneous reins at.)
Anderson often walked the fine line between fantasy and functionality — a balance that, in less capable hands, would have toppled over. Who else could make bulbous anthurium breastplates or dresses that looked like brush strokes feel not only wearable, but desirable? His collections were less about wearability in the traditional sense, more about expanding our collective fashion imagination.
But beyond the showstoppers and memes, his most enduring legacy — at least to me — is the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize. Launched in 2016, it quietly became one of the most important initiatives in contemporary design. While other houses chased the next viral handbag, Anderson chose to celebrate artisans — ceramicists, metalworkers, weavers — elevating handcraft to the same pedestal as haute couture. It was never performative. He believed in the intelligence of hands, and he gave that belief institutional permanence. That, I think, is what will outlast even the most iconic Puzzle bag.
Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.
Speaking of which — how could I forget the Puzzle bag? Debuted in 2015, it was the first major hit under his creative directorship and remains a masterclass in clever construction: architectural yet soft, functional yet full of character. It was a harbinger of the kind of work Anderson would go on to do — always thinking in three dimensions, always blurring the boundaries between art and accessory.
Maggie Smith with the Loewe Puzzle Bag.
Journalist Nick Haramis once wrote that “no other fashion designer today blurs the lines between the avant-garde and the commercial as imaginatively, or ruthlessly, as Jonathan Anderson.” I couldn’t agree more. He is one of the few designers who has ideas — not just concepts or styling tricks, but true ideas about shape, silhouette, and the emotional effect of clothing. There was always a cerebral charge to his collections, but never at the expense of joy.
There was that menswear show in Spring 2023 — the one with models sprouting Chia Pet-like greenery from their bodies. Or the padded bomber jacket, shaped a bit like a leather-wrapped Hershey’s Kiss. You never quite knew where he would go next — and that unpredictability became his signature. Even Sarah Mower, in her Vogue reviews, often pointed to that unexpected duality — beauty and bizarreness, high craft and high camp, all stitched seamlessly together.
What made his Loewe so compelling was that it refused to flatten itself into a marketing blueprint. It wasn’t trying to be everything to everyone. It was specific, strange, and often singular. And maybe that’s why it resonated so deeply with a generation of fashion lovers looking for something a little less polished, a little more peculiar — something that felt like art with a sense of humour.
As for what’s next — rumours are swirling (Dior? Another maison?) — but whatever Anderson turns his hand to will no doubt carry that same curious, mischievous spirit. He’s too interesting a thinker to go conventional now.
For me, Loewe under Jonathan Anderson will always be remembered as the house that dared to dream weird — where you could fall in love with a fringe-trimmed coat one season, and a stiletto with a cracked-egg heel the next. Where craft wasn’t a buzzword, but a belief. And where a pigeon-shaped bag could become a symbol of fashion’s most delightfully unserious serious moment.
What a legacy.
Much has already been written — tweeted (or X-ed?!), Reels-ed, Substacked — about the scale of Jonathan Anderson’s impact on fashion and beyond. But to really grasp its depth, it felt essential to go beyond the surface scroll. So, we turned to a few voices who’ve lived with his work in meaningful ways — those who’ve interviewed him repeatedly, those who wear him (and wear him well), those who truly understand the value of craft, and finally, Cecilia Morelli Parikh, co-founder of Le Mill. Long before Anderson’s Loewe became the global phenomenon it is today, she had the foresight to champion the brand in India, becoming its first key retailer in the country — a bet she made years ago, and one that still pays dividends today. Here’s what they had to say about his legacy, his language, and why Loewe under Anderson was never just about fashion — it was about feeling.
Cecilia Morelli, co-founder, Le Mill
On bringing Loewe to Indian audiences...
“This was a historical brand positioning its product and brand identity for a future consumer. Using innovation and design as well as craft to express that evolution. Those all felt like values and ideas that aligned with what Le Mill wants for its community.”
Why Loewe resonated so deeply with Le Mill’s Indian clientele…
“Evolution of heritage, innovation and craft. These are all super relevant to India’s growth story these last 20 years. This is a brand that is paving the way for making craft and design relevant to modern consumers.”
How Anderson honoured the brand’s legacy while reshaping it for the now…
“He honoured the brand by looking at the techniques and materials that defined its past and success. While bringing them squarely into the reality of the modern customer’s lifestyle.”
And the pieces that defined his tenure…
“The Puzzle bag was a real innovation. As was the application of leather in the ready to wear collection. Not since Celine at Phoebe Philo had a designer draped leather on the body in such an innovative and collectible way.”
Osman Ahmed, Writer, Editor & Consultant
On Loewe’s greatest legacy under Jonathan Anderson…
“Truthfully, I think Jonathan’s legacy will be that, at Loewe, he truly made craft ‘cool’. Before him, not many people knew what Loewe was, let alone how to pronounce it, and right from the beginning he explored its history of Spanish leather craftsmanship and applied his unparalleled curatorial eye, and he really was one of the first people to talk about ‘craft’ within a design context. Everybody talks about craft now, but he was one of the first — and with him, it was never just a buzzword to justify overpricing, but a real bedrock of his design process and a wellspring for innovation.”
On how Anderson balanced the intellectual and the irreverent…
“I also loved that there was always an artful balance of high and low: pop culture and esoteric artists, viral TikTokers and Hollywood stars, the sunny bohemian spirit of the Spanish Balearic Islands and the gravitas of Spain’s renaissance art… He is an intellectual, but also has a wicked sense of humour. Marijuana-scented candles, Aubrey Plaza and Jennifer Coolidge in an ad campaign, balloon shoes, car dresses, raver-inspired Ibiza capsules… It’s all woven into the tapestry of his profound intellectualism and design sensibility. He has always had a very light sense of humour and irreverence, too, which is his London / British side coming through.”
Where he should go next, in Osman’s view…
“Dior, mens AND women’s! Why not?”
On interviewing Jonathan Anderson…
“Jonathan is a real chatterbox. He talks a million miles a minute, and EVERY season, he will really speak about all of the ideas in his collections, often for much longer than any other designer!”
The moment that lives in his mind rent-free…
“For me, it was during the pandemic. I still think he was the only designer who really thought creatively about how to create work in that time, and showcase it in an interesting way. I have kept each of his ‘Shows in a Box’ — which arrived on my doorstep when we were all in isolation, and was like a puzzle of a fashion show in a miniature box (looks, swatches, music, DIY origami sculptures).”
Loewe's "Shows in a Box".
Jaya Raheja, Collector and Connoisseur
On collecting Loewe, piece by piece…
“My favourite piece of clothing at the moment is the belted cut-out dress I bought recently and yes it is from Le Mill — I believe there was a huge wait list for the dress but I’m so happy that I managed to get it. I bought it in January and I wore it for a BOF dinner party in Mumbai and felt like a dream to own this piece.”
On the pieces that become part of daily life…
“Another all-time absolute favourite piece is the terra foam clog shoes by Loewe. I bought my first pair in 2023 in the fall and used it so much that I had to buy another pair a year later — it’s been difficult to replace this shoe with any other pair for daily wear as this is lightweight, edgy, so comfortable and gives me some height.”
A true connoisseur’s wardrobe…
“I own probably 50–60 pieces of Loewe clothing, shoes, accessories so far.”
Her ultimate Loewe collection…
“My favourite collection of Loewe by far was the SS 2023. From the tulips in almost all pieces to the balloon shoes! I have 10–12 items from this collection alone and I think this collection alone has made Loewe the brand of the decade.”
On Anderson’s legacy at Loewe…
“JW Anderson will go down in history as Loewe’s master creative head and the next one will truly have really big shoes to fill. He hasn’t performed in this manner even for his own label as he has done for Loewe! Absolutely amazing work.”
Tania Shroff, Fashion It Girl
JW Anderson's Loewe pieces in her wardrobe and how to style it...
I have a couple of JW Anderson’s Loewe pieces in my wardrobe. I own a pair of jeans a sweater and the nail polish heels which I bought a couple years ago. Everything is super easy to style and I wear them all year round.
A JW Anderson Loewe moments that lives rent-free in her brain...
Taylor Russell’s MET gala look.
On what is next for him...
I have heard all the rumours of him heading to Dior next, I would love to see his direction for Dior. So excited to keep up with his journey.
On makes a fashion brand long-lasting and impactful today...
I prioritize quality and knowing the materials used to gauge longevity. I also gravitate toward brands that have fun with fashion rather than just following trends.
On what sets JW apart...
JW Anderson has always stood out for his playful, gender-fluid designs that mix together bold experimentation with wearability. I also do love how he balances avant-garde ideas with commercial appeal.
