Once Again, Loewe Reminds Us to Smile

Jonathan Anderson is a master at making us dream. His designs for Loewe are alluring in their artistry and full of playful trickery, like a too-high high-waisted trouser, or a shoe heel fashioned from a makeup brush. Lightness abounds in Anderson’s universe, as does the idea that a brand’s vision can extend beyond the designer himself to independent makers. As such, this season, Anderson and Loewe have tapped into a cheeky, wildly creative artist duo for a collaboration that brings childlike whimsy to luxury clothes and accessories. Husband and wife Shohei Fujita and Chisato Yamano, who helm Kyoto, Japan–based ceramic studio Suna Fujita, have lent some of their nature-inspired art to the house’s Spring 2024 precollection.

Landscapes and characters that include penguins, lemurs, and pandas decorate hoodies, knitwear, and denim, as well as accessories like bags, wallets, and slippers. There are also blankets, ornaments, jewelry, and charms featuring depictions of storybook-esque scenes, like a person desperately hanging on to a tree branch while a panda bites their shorts, trying to pull them down. These renderings often appear on Suna Fujita ceramics—it began with Yamano drawing the characters on cups, which gave Fujita the idea to paint them onto ceramics. “Our creative process is based on our experiences with nature and everyday life,” the couple explains, adding: “We spend a long time thinking—for us, creation needs the fermentation of memory.”

Their artwork has always been inspired by this idea of bringing the outside world in, by finding humor and lightness in everyday surroundings. For Fujita and Yamano, it’s also about the joy of family—they often reference their son and their dog in their work, too. The new Loewe collaboration certainly gives their work a bigger platform, but it also serves as a reminder that, even when it comes to fashion, we can all take ourselves a little less seriously. Anderson knows this well too, and once again, he and Loewe, with Suna Fujita, remind us that the best part about getting dressed is the possibility of a smile.

Fashion News Director

Brooke Bobb is the fashion news director at Harper’s Bazaar, working across print and digital platforms. Previously, she was a senior content editor at Amazon Fashion, and worked at Vogue Runway as senior fashion news writer.