Loewe, the luxury fashion brand known for its artisanal leather goods, took a playful turn at Paris Fashion Week with a runway show that featured giant confetti cubes and models dancing down the catwalk.
Creative director Jonathan Anderson said he wanted to create “a moment of joy” with the collection, which was presented on Saturday in a virtual show filmed in a white space in Paris.
The collection itself was a mix of relaxed and tailored silhouettes, with oversized blazers and trousers paired with sheer tops and flowy dresses. The color palette was mostly neutral, with pops of bright yellow, pink, and green.
But it was the staging that stole the show, with models emerging from behind a row of towering cubes made of colorful confetti. As they walked, the cubes were lifted and tilted, sending the confetti raining down on the runway.
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Anderson said the confetti cubes were meant to represent “a moment of release” after a year and a half of pandemic-related restrictions.
“We need to celebrate life and be joyful,” he told The Associated Press in a video call ahead of the show. “I think we’re all just living in these really tough times and I wanted to do something that was just purely about the moment of joy.”
The playful theme continued with the music, which featured a remix of techno beats and the sound of children laughing and playing. The show ended with models and dancers joining together for a choreographed routine that had the audience tapping their feet along.
Loewe, owned by the LVMH luxury conglomerate, has become known for its creative and often unconventional runway shows. In past seasons, the brand has staged shows in a maze-like structure and in a room filled with cascading flowers.
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But the brand has also faced criticism for cultural insensitivity, particularly for its use of Native American motifs in a 2020 collection. Anderson apologized at the time, saying he had consulted with indigenous artists and designers but had not done enough to credit and compensate them.
This season’s collection was more straightforward, with no obvious references to other cultures or communities. Instead, Anderson said he was inspired by the idea of “the texture of life,” and how different materials and patterns can interact with each other.
“There’s a lot of surface play,” he said. “I think that’s really important because we live in a world of social media where everything is very flat. So I wanted to do something where you really felt that there was a tactility and a depth to it.”
The brand’s signature leather goods also made an appearance, with models carrying oversized tote bags and wearing chunky leather boots. But there were also unexpected touches, like a shirt made entirely of woven leather strips and a dress with a voluminous tulle skirt paired with a leather vest.
As the pandemic continues to upend the fashion industry, with many brands struggling to survive, Loewe’s bold and joyful collection offered a welcome respite from the challenges of the past year.
“I think people are looking for things that are happy and optimistic,” Anderson said. “I think people are looking for something that’s really going to bring them joy and something that they can look at and just smile.”
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Whether or not the confetti cubes and the playful theme will resonate with consumers remains to be seen, but Loewe’s ability to capture the zeitgeist with its runway shows has helped it stand out in the crowded luxury market.
As Anderson put it: “Fashion has always been about reflecting the times, and I think this is a moment where we really need to reflect on joy and celebration.”
