Inside Loewe’s high-shine pop-up at Harrods, marking ten colourful years of the Puzzle bag

The origami-like Puzzle bag, first introduced by Jonathan Anderson as part of his S/S 2015 menswear collection for Loewe, remains perhaps his most perennial design for the Spanish house, where he held the role of creative director for just over a decade (he left the house in March of this year; today, it was announced he will head up both Dior’s men’s and womenswear collections in an unprecendented appointment).

Reimagined in a catalogue of iterations – featuring everything from embellishment to artworks, and even Studio Ghibli illustrations – as well as numerous sizes, from the XL to the micro, it is perhaps Loewe’s most successful export. Even after Anderson’s departure – he will be succeeded by Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, whose debut show will be held this September – expect the Puzzle bag to remain as part of the Loewe roster.

10 years of the Loewe Puzzle bag at Harrods

Indeed, this month, the house reveals a colourful new Harrods pop-up, which displays an array of Puzzle bags – focussing on the more arresting and outlandish iterations – in an exhibition-like pop-up which celebrates Anderson’s expansive creative legacy (far more than a fashion brand, under the Northern Irish designer Loewe became a cultural behemoth, inaugurating an annual Loewe Craft Prize, holding presentations at Salone Del Mobile, and collaborating with a roster of contemporary artists on show sets and objects).

The various bags on show are part of the ‘Puzzle 10 Collection’, which comprises 19 re-editions, as well as one new version of the bag. The latter is suitably celebrational: titled the ‘Confetti’, it features a colourful explosion of leather and metal sequins, a demonstration of the superlative handcraft of the Loewe leatherwork atelier. Like the 19 re-editions – which span an original S/S 2015 bag in vivid hues of pink, versions adorned with clouds, parrots and playing cards, and collaborations with the estates of William Morris, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Joe Brainard – it comes with a commemorative plaque and two balloon-shaped charms.

Other re-editions are notable for their intriguing textural finishes: a ‘Kiwi’ bag from a 2021 Paula’s Ibiza collection features undulating leather panels to recreate the tropical fruit in surreal style, a tartan wool jacquard version from A/W 2020 is left purposefully frayed at its edges, while a 2019 Puzzle featuring motifs by Arts & Crafts artist William De Morgan is embroidered to give the appearance of tapestry.

The Puzzle bag’s unique cuboid shape and foldable structure were designed by Anderson to recall the traditional art of Japanese origami. ‘It was about deconstructing a conventional bag to create a flat object with a tridimensional function,’ he said of the Puzzle on its release. ‘I set out to find a new way of building a bag, fundamentally questioning its structure.’

Running until June 22 and inspired by Loewe’s textural, art-filled ‘Casa Loewe’ stores, the Harrods space sees the various bags displayed in velvet-lined cavities within metallic walls, designed to give the appearance of a jewel box. Elsewhere in the space, artisans will demonstrate the craft behind some of the bags, while six exterior windows of the department stores will be inspired by three of the artists who appear on the bags – Ken Price, Joe Brainard and William Morris. Finally, refreshments come courtesy of a special spotted Loewe truck parked outside the store, serving hot and iced coffees, alongside special Loewe ’Puzzle’ chocolates.

The Harrods Loewe ‘Puzzle 10’ pop up runs until June 22, 2025.

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