How Loewe Became One of Fashion’s Hottest Brands

Article by Fashion Network.

Loewe might not have the widespread name recognition Prada has, but it’s growing fast online.

Loewe has surpassed the Italian brand as the hottest fashion brand in the world, according to the Lyst Index, a quarterly ranking of the most popular brands and products. Lyst is a technology and shopping company that analyses shopper behaviors such as product views, sales, social media mentions, and engagement to produce the global ranking.

In the last three months, searches for Loewe have increased by 19 percent, Lyst reported.

Established in 1846, Loewe is a Spanish fashion house that has been around longer than Prada. In fact, some say it’s one of the longest standing luxury labels. Known for its quality leather handbags, it was founded by a leather craftsman named Enrique Loewe Roessberg. In 1905, King Alfonso XIII appointed Loewe as the official supplier to the Spanish royal crown. LVMH acquired the company in 1996.

If you’re going off the spelling, the brand’s name is easy to mispronounce. Even fashion models have a hard time saying it. According to the company’s website, the name is actually German, not Spanish, so it’s pronounced “lo-weh-vay.” Loewe is the German word for lion.

In 2013, the company appointed the Irish designer Johnathan Anderson as its creative director. He graduated from the London College of Fashion and found acclaim with his own menswear label, JW Anderson. In 2010, he added a womenswear collection and in 2015, he won womenswear and menswear designer of the year at the British Fashion Awards.

Celebrity collaborations have fueled some of Loewe’s current popularity. Anderson created the head-to-toe red outfit Rihanna wore during her Super Bowl halftime performance and subsequent pregnancy announcement.

Loewe also designed some of the custom, crystal-encrusted looks Beyonce wore on her Renaissance world tour, including a bodysuit with hand motifs and a robot-inspired silver cargo pants and 3D-printed bra.

This year, Loewe has drawn attention for its sculptural and “gravity-defying” pieces. Emma Watson wore a dress from the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 women’s collection that was draped to look like it was floating. Jennifer Lawrence wore a Loewe dress on the red carpet that appeared both 2D and 3D at the same time. And Emily Ratajkowski wore Loewe’s giant laceleaf top during Paris Fashion Week.

One of Loewe’s recent viral pieces was a hoodie designed to look like a pixelated garment that you might see in a video game. According to Lyst, the Anagram tank top, seen on Kylie Jenner, was the hottest product of the quarter. Meanwhile, the site said Loewe’s raffia basket bags are in such demand that searches for dupes of the handbag are surging.

Prices for a Loewe handbag range from $1,450 for a Nappa leather Bracelet Pouch to $3,750 for a calfskin Hammock shoulder bag.

By Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins

Credit: Business of Fashion