With Care and Confidence
Review of Loewe Spring 2026 Fashion Show
By Mackenzie Richard Zuckerman
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Textural Intelligence, Sculptural Clarity, & Respectful Reset
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez’s debut at Loewe was always going to be closely watched. The duo arrive with decades of authority from Proenza Schouler, where they built a reputation on pared-back sophistication, material intelligence, and silhouettes that carried a quietly confident ease. Their instincts have always leaned toward refinement rather than spectacle, which makes them a fascinating match for Loewe’s stage — a house whose recent identity was shaped by surprise and eccentric craft.
Under Anderson, Loewe became defined by its unpredictability — an alchemy of commercial clarity and intellectual provocation that made even a white logo tank feel culturally charged. He gave Loewe the kind of clout where a product could be absurd or practical and still hold the same reverence.
Loewe’s house codes, however, reach further back. Founded in 1846 as a collective of leather artisans, the house was built on material mastery and has long celebrated tactility, experimentation, and a certain Iberian ease. In more recent decades, those foundations expanded into a dialogue between heritage and innovation: artisanal craft reframed with wit, surrealism, and cultural sharpness.
In their debut, McCollough and Hernandez picked up on these threads with sculptural leather jackets that felt instantly iconic, their clean architectural edges signaling a new structural clarity for the house. Textured fabrics emphasized the hand of the maker, while styling choices balanced legacy polish with modern accessibility.
Rather than rushing to overturn, McCollough and Hernandez began by listening — to the codes, to the craft, to the cultural weight Loewe carries today.
The question for McCollough and Hernandez, then, was how to navigate that inheritance. Do they wipe the slate clean and rebuild, or pick up the house codes Anderson sharpened and reinterpret them in their own voice? Loewe has never been solely Anderson’s invention — its heart runs deeper, with a heritage that dates back to 1846 — yet in recent years it became nearly synonymous with him. This debut suggested the new designers are committed to honoring that lineage while beginning to carve out space for their own ideas. The essential question now is whether they can strike the balance between commercial strength and conceptual intrigue that keeps Loewe at the center of contemporary fashion.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
What we saw today was a thoughtful, deeply respectful debut — one that acknowledged Loewe’s codes, both historic and recent, while weaving in the designers’ own instincts.
There were clever surrealist flourishes, like a jacket that appeared folded from a single piece of leather — deceptively simple in theory until you consider the craftsmanship required. Subversive touches reimagined preppy cues, turning a wrapped sweater into a strapless top that both winked at and elevated its origins. The graphic tee stamped “Loewe 1846 Madrid” was a considerate nod to legacy, while details like logo embossing and sprezzatura styling rewarded close inspection.
At times, the collection leaned toward restraint — the reliance on primaries gave clarity and punch, but rarely pushed into unexpected territory. The tightrope was crossed with poise rather than daring, making this debut feel less like a high-wire act designed to shock than an assured introduction that prioritized care and craft over spectacle.
That restraint is also what gave it strength: McCollough and Hernandez proved they can carry Loewe’s cultural weight forward, ensuring accessibility without diluting artistry.
The next step, however, is for them to push themselves further — not by imitating Anderson’s eccentricities, but by stretching the boundaries of their own language within the freedom Loewe affords. If today was about respect, tomorrow should be about audacity. Loewe is one of the rare houses that grants its designers both the platform and the permission to take real risks. This debut showed the duo’s genius in detail and their gift for balance. Now the anticipation lies in seeing them move beyond restraint and channel that courage into a Loewe that feels unmistakably theirs — expanding the horizon of what the house can be on their own terms.
And I have every confidence in them.
