The Loewe FW23 Menswear show said less is more. In a stark white venue decorated with floor-to-ceiling Julien Nguyen artworks, the show kicked off in Paris this morning before an audience of famous faces, including Naomi Campbell and Timothy Chalamet to name a few. Bestowing us with a collection self-proclaimed to be a reinvention of craft and leather, Jonathan Anderson put his own spin on a popular theme this fashion month: reduction.
COATS BUT MAKE IT BIGGER
Jackets stole the show at Loewe. A floor-length tailored jacket opened the show, styled unconventionally with nothing under it (which turned out to be a theme of the collection), followed by a selection of loose, open-front coats with another unique element: the model’s hands draped from the deep neckline, with the sleeve hanging empty at their sides. An iridescent orange coat with high-collar appeared to be completely stiff, catching the light as the model walked. More jackets followed in silk, suede, and puffer. We simply couldn’t choose a favourite.
BAGS YOU COULD CLIMB INTO
Itsy bitsy shoulder bags are out; Loewe’s ushering in a new staple bag. The collection featured an array of bags in various shapes, colours, and sizes – keeping to Creative Director Jonathan Anderson’s promise to “reinvent craft and leather” – but they all followed one overarching theme: the bigger the better. A slouchy hand-held bag in a muted beige was big enough to climb into, followed by a tailored tote in black that was both sophisticated and practical. If you’ve got a lot of baggage, this was the collection for you.
A SHIRT THAT WAS HEAVEN SENT
Loewe gives you wings in FW23, as seen on a round-neck shirt in cream which buttoned at the back, styled simply with a pair of brown boots and a set of dusty grey angel wings. Pinned lightly at the shoulder blade, the wings appeared to be made of short silvery feathers, scarcely reaching past the model’s frame, and quivering as they walked. If models at Loewe were to ever spontaneously grow wings, this depiction is as realistic as one could expect. I’ll take two.
THE FUR COAT TO RULE THEM ALL
Men’s fashion month has been desperate to conquer the statement fur coat this season, with almost every brand taking a swing; but Loewe arguably just dominated them all with one fell swoop. This fur coat has a BBL. In a soft tan, Jonathan Anderson’s iconic fur coat is bulbous in the best way possible, curved at its extremities to look like a teddy-bear’s balled up fists. Maybe the star of the show, the coat’s already been touted as the best fur coat to walk this season, and we might have to agree.
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