Mood board: the collection had less of the jaunty je ne sas quoi than previous seasons and felt more restrained. Creative director Jonathan Anderson drew on archetypal menswear items, reimagined through the artisanal hands of Loewe. A/W 2018’s multi-coloured nappa suede cuffed trouser, navy wool and alpaca shearling patch sweater and quilted bomber are just some of the convincing, covetable full head-to-toe options. Following on from the nomadic theme which last season manifested as a range of jolly sea-bed charms slung from bags and belt loops, we now move inland with nappa hedgehogs and ladybird coin purses to adorn the clothing. The muted palette of browns and oranges evoked the great outdoors.
Finishing touches: you’re only as good as your it-bag. Upon his arrival at the house in 2013, Anderson set about creating his own icon: the cuboid shaped Puzzle bag. It can be worn as a shoulder bag or clutch and folds completely flat. For A/W 2018 the style has been reimagined for the menswear customer and has evolved into a cross body messenger style with lace-up details. Scaled up to XXL, it comes as a roomy backpack.
Team work: Anderson encountered the work of American art photographer Duane Michals while on a visit to Tate. Michals is known for appropriating cinema’s frame-by-frame format in work he first began composing in the late 1960s, after time as a photojournalist and graphic designer. In the 1970s he began writing captions in the margins and later incorporated painting. Anderson invited the 85 year old to collaborate on a series of images of the new collection, which were on display at the brand’s Paris headquarters and will be published as a limited edition volume designed by M/M Paris. Michals photographed the British actor Josh O’Connor as a failed magician, performing in the Teatro Reina Victoria in Madrid. The 67 images evoke the feeling of a surrealist pantomime.
