Loewe Finds The Key To Hacking The Algorithm Of Masculinity
Review of Loewe Fall 2024 Men’s Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
A common thread throughout Mens fashion week has been the number of designers who have taken to acknowledging the current state of the world. There have been themes of cocooning, rebelliousness, and softness to name a few. And it demonstrates how it’s important for the world of design (and those who participate in it) to reflect the world in which it pulls from, whether that’s to bring in unbridled beauty, become a vessel for the voiceless to make a statement, or to create a path for like-minds to find their tribe.
The men who buy into Loewe can be said to be one such tribe, who like to play the game of styling themselves slightly left field. As the brand has become the accepted face of easy experimentation. Look to the rise in NBA players peacocking in their ‘tunnel fits’ or British films young co-hort who can be found supporting one of their own – on the front rows of Paris, the red carpet runway, and even off-duty on the grocery run.
But todays show was a critique (although not an expressly harsh one) on the obsession the world has with celebrity culture and social media through magazines and sites such as TMZ and US Weekly. Which work together in an endless loop, feeding off each other, every second of every day to ensure they keep their millions of fans engaged in clickbait. As one of his references for the fall collection Jonathan Anderson worked with artist, and Professor of Painting and Drawing, Richard Hawkins for both the showspace (‘stained glass’ windows as video screens were created in the style of Hawkins work and paid homage to “1960’s Loewe window designs by José Péréz de Rozas) and as handcrafted embroidery across accessories.
Creating a “multitude of desirable characters” as outlined in today’s show notes, new silhouettes were formed as part of the Loewe arsenal, and took their lead from Hawkins work (which, for over 30 years has been fascinated by the male body, according to the same notes). Spliced sweatshirts revealing shirtless torsos, elongated sweatshirts worn bare-legged, and robe-like maxi coats paired with simple bottoms – worn as if thrown on to lounge around the house.
Celebrity culture in its 1990s heyday was also deeply mined as the soundtrack spoke of the biggest stars of the day, such as Sean Penn. This came through in the grunge-like styling of the suits (tucked into skater sneakers), mimicking how it would have been worn and photographed at a red carpet premiere or simply going to pick up groceries during the era, when celebrities were becoming less formal, and more real, about the way they presented themselves and the paparazzi were more aggressive in their pursuit of ever-more candid shots. The collage aspect of the collection allowed for a number of ideas to be present in one look, so knitted fair-isle sweaters were paired with track pants, pussy-bow blouses with leather trousers, and a patchworked hybrid of a trench coat-cum-cardigan-cum-shirt-cum-trouser. Which all made sense in today’s collection, and if fed into an algorithm would probably result in the same aesthetics, proving Andersons initial reference point on how masculinity, in one aspect is no longer following a set of rules, and is ripe for reinvention.
THE BUZZWORDS
Collaged celebrity culture, shapes new energy, code-breaking college, new masculinity
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look #40
A collage of textures, yarns, and hand-crafted techniques were used in what is, hopefully, a bespoke knitted maxi, which is sure to spawn a thousand imitations as Jonathan Anderson strikes again with a viral hit that is likely to become the very thing it is parodying – a celebrity.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
If there is any doubt that lightening can strike 2, 3, even 4 times, then Anderson is here to prove otherwise, as season-after-season his exploration of shape as object, and body as merely a muse, has seen him produce styles which go on to perform. Especially across the denim, knitwear, and outerwear categories, with his quirky footwear also a commercial hit, whether or not they resemble those worn by a beloved cartoon character or a deflated balloon. In that respect expect to see voluminous leather and canvas cargo pants, textured pussy-bow blouses, elongated hoodies, maxi grandad cardigans, and half-belt denim jeans being used to represent the new masculine dress code at a local fusion-bar near you soon.
