LOEWE @ Fragments of A Story: 168 Years of LOEWE Exhibition

LOEWE held a new exhibition which will tour retail spaces around the world. Fragments of a Story: 168 Years of Loewe takes the form of a dynamic installation showcasing key moments in the evolution of Loewe over a century and a half, focusing on the designs and developments that represented turning points in this ongoing history of innovation and craftsmanship.

 The history of its leather craft is central to Loewe’s meaning. The reason why its products are still so valued today is because it has always exercised the same techniques, supreme skill and attention to detail as it did when it was founded: Loewe’s entire history is refracted through every new product that it introduces. Therefore, in order to do that history justice, it was decided that the exhibition telling the Loewe story should not be structured around a flat chronological timeline. Instead, it takes the form of a dazzling maze of mirrors and images in which visitors are invited to explore key moments from the story of the brand and examine its products from a variety of angles.

 To tell this story, the exhibition focuses on three main areas of interest: The bags, which embody Loewe’s mastery of leather craft and showcase its signature napa. The silks, through which Loewe pays homage to its Spanish roots in the form of traditional shawls, and scarves using designs from Spanish art and culture. The graphics through which Loewe has presented itself to the world, in an area of the exhibition devoted to its logos, legendary window displays and sumptuous advertising campaigns.

All three sections feature artwork by the Dutch photographers Schleten and Abbenes. Their collages will sit alongside examples of Loewe’s most significant bags and key napa products from the 1980s, placed amid a series of angled mirrors on a specially constructed set that will reflect and fragment the visual content like a giant kaleidoscope.

Fragments of a Story is curated by Ana Dominguez and Omar Sosa. It Opened in Hong Kong in February, from where it will transfer to Barcelona in March, Madrid and Beijing in April, Shanghai in May, Hangzhou in June, and Japan and Taipei (dates to be confirmed).