I’m already getting pretty sick of the metaverse, and I think Loewe is on my side. In this week’s Loewe Fall 2022 Menswear show, Creative Director Jonathan Anderson brought the absurdity that exists in digital clothing into the physical world. More specifically, the metaverse or crypto-fashion has quickly risen to notoriety in the fashion industry, applauded by some for its ability to host ultra-conceptual design. Others criticized it for creating a new world in fashion without fixing the one we currently have.
Anderson’s retort to the metaverse is quite simple — why not turn the madness of the digital world into real-life clothing? Fiber optic lighting created a backlit effect from the inside of jacket sleeves to illuminate an oversized shearling jacket to light up waistlines. Proportions are completely exaggerated on both ends of the spectrum. The tailoring has been shrunken, sealing the suits super close to the skin. In a menswear reiteration of Loewe’s three-dimensional garments from Spring 2022 ready-to-wear, Hems in tee shirts and shorts have been completely warped. The shape of bodies is recontextualized to look futuristic and almost technological.
Experimental materiality has become an Anderson staple, and the menswear show was only a further confirmation of it. Turtlenecks are embellished with floor-grazing tassels coming out of the fingertips; knits are left open-gauged and asymmetrical; leather is brightly colored and transparent. Shoes have been transformed into cinched bag-like shapes, recontextualizing the heritage brand’s leatherwork.
It cannot go without mentioning that Loewe menswear has become undeniably sexy. Anderson has had his finger on the pulse of the burgeoning provocativeness that has become a strong current in recent menswear seasons. The male form is embraced constantly throughout the collection, primarily seen in the trompe l’oeil of semi-naked bodies printed atop one-piece and figure-hugging tees. Cutouts have been reappearing for the past few seasons, yet here it is, unexpected. Over are the days where we expose a man’s abs or ribs, and we have now graduated to heart-shaped nipple cutouts!
What is currently making Anderson’s Loewe so exciting is its lack of practicality. Function, and even profitability, seems to have been ignored, which is a great equation for making conceptual and thought-provoking design. In the past few seasons, I have struggled to find shows that genuinely fill me with excitement, the kind of excitement that makes me want to dress up — Loewe has been an exception. Anderson has been consistently cementing himself as a designer passionate about creating clothing that is invigorating to watch. Loewe has secured itself as a playground in finding the bizarre and making great clothing from it.
Words by Nicholson Baird.
Graphic by Anna Mcgregor.