Loewe and Studio Ghibli collaborate on ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’-inspired collection

‘The world we are living in needs a counteract: not as an escape, but as a different outlook. This, to me, is what Hayao Miyazaki’s animated films for Studio Ghibli are about,’ says Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, who continues his collaborative partnership with the seminal Japanese animation studio this month. 

Drawing inspiration from 2004 movie Howl’s Moving Castle – ‘one of my favourite Miyazaki creations’, according to Anderson – it is the final part of a trilogy of collaborative collections that has previously seen Loewe draw inspiration from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro (of the latter, Loewe also sponsored the stage version, which opened at London’s Barbican in October 2022).

Loewe x Studio Ghibli: ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’

‘It tells a story of loyalty and compassion against a backdrop of magic, imposing technology and the destructive effects of war, which makes it incredibly resonating,’ says Anderson, noting particular affection for Sophie, the story’s protagonist (‘a quiet young milliner who is turned into an elderly woman after being cursed by a witch’) and the eponymous Howl, a wizard who is part of a resistance against the king. ‘Blending hand-drawn and digital animation, [it] exemplifies the power of craft as a bridge between the old and new – a creative approach that Loewe is proud to share.’

The joyful collection sees a host of menswear, womenswear, accessories and leather goods decorated with motifs and characters from the film – whether Sophie, Howl, or the vivid cast of supporting characters, from the fire demon Calcifer to the Witch of the Waste. Several of Anderson’s most memorable designs for Loewe feature in the limited-edition collection, including the ‘Puzzle’, ‘Flamenco’ and ‘Amazona’ handbags – here playfully emblazoned with Studio Ghibli’s distinct illustrations – while Calcifer is used as inspiration for a scented candle in the house’s ‘Home Scents’ range (the fire demon inspired a heady, smoky scent combining elements of incense, patchouli, roasted hazelnut and cardamom). Other pieces simply attempt to capture the film’s mood, with rich appliqué, raffia and feathers designed to move ‘as if they are alive’. 

For those in London, a special pre-launch pop-up in Selfridges opens today (1 February 2023), comprising a takeover of the department store’s ’Corner Shop’ space, where shoppers can purchase the collection first, ‘Calcifer’s Kitchen’, a ‘culinary experience’ inspired by the movie and created by French creative studio Balbosté at Dolly’s café (expect ‘meadow-inspired sandwiches, vermicelli broomsticks, macarons, cakes, cloud terrines’), and an exhibition celebrating the film. Screenings of Howl’s Moving Castle will also run at The Selfridges Cinema, while one of the famous Oxford Street windows will pay ode to Loewe’s perfume collection. Giant 2D characters from the film will also feature on the store’s façade. 

The exhibition – which takes place in Selfridges’ exhibition space on Edward Mews, here renamed ‘The Cloud Room’ – allows visitors to discover a series of the film’s original sketches and illustrations, watch how the house’s bags are made, and ‘find themselves amongst the clouds’ with an immersive installation. A short walk away, at Marble Arch, will be an enormous inflatable of the film’s moving castle (from 1-5 February 2023), which travels to London from Paris. 

‘The message is one of uplifting connection,’ says Anderson. ‘Crafting fantasies to create alternative realities and see the world in a different way.’

Loewe x Howl’s Moving Castle at Selfridges London runs from 1 to 25 February 2023. The collection is available at Selfridges, Loewe stores and online, and Mytheresa.com. 

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