Jonathan Anderson’s Loewe Fall/Winter 2023 collection presents a unique perspective on the fashion industry’s current trend of grand productions and entertainment. He emphasizes the importance of putting clothes and speculative thinking about them at the forefront, opting for a stripped-back, traditional approach by showcasing his collection with a line of models walking around a minimalistic white space.
Anderson’s collection focuses on exaggerating the materiality of fashion fabrication, transforming it into pure-lined 3D sculptures with full metal jackets crafted by artisans using copper and pewter and structured coats molded by hat-makers. He aims to create a contrast between the hard exterior and a sensual undertone, a theme reflected in the use of angel wings on some of the models, a nod to the iconography of old masters painters such as Pierre-Paul Prud’hon and the contemporary artist Julien Nguyen.
The collection is a perfect example of how the subject of clothes can be multi-layered yet maintain a clear focus, a concept that Anderson refers to as a “reductionist act“. He has successfully demonstrated how the observation and reaction to the meaning behind the clothes can be mentally stimulating and absorbing, showcasing a mix of avant-garde sculpture and pared-back, practical designs such as long, slimline leather coats and wool shapes with deeply plunging cowl necklines. The collection is simple yet extraordinary, and Anderson believes that by achieving that one perfect look, it creates a narrative throughout the show that says everything and nothing at the same time.