Loewe: when the surface becomes the story

For Loewe’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez describe making as both thoughtful and playful. The official craft notes identify fringed and embroidered leather, sculpted shearling and injection-moulded Storm boots.

Look at a material twice

A material name is only the beginning of a description. Leather can read as a continuous surface, an edge, a fringe or a woven structure. Changing how it is handled changes the way the eye moves across it. Our interest is in that shift from a familiar material to an unexpected visual behaviour.

In the official detail gallery, begin by identifying the outline. Then ignore the outline and follow the surface. Does it move freely? Hold a rigid boundary? Break into smaller elements? Those questions offer a useful way to look even when you do not know the technical name of every process.

A practical translation

You can borrow a surface contrast without borrowing an entire silhouette. Try a smooth bag with a heavily textured knit, or a crisp cotton shirt next to a softer, visibly brushed layer. Place the pieces together in daylight before deciding whether the contrast is pleasing.

Keep other variables quiet for the first attempt. A close colour family makes differences in texture more noticeable; a very strong print may redirect attention away from them. You can add complexity once the basic relationship works.

Stay specific

Craft is not a synonym for expensive, and an unusual appearance is not proof of a particular production method. Use the house’s stated techniques where available. Otherwise describe the visible result. That leaves room to appreciate ingenuity without inventing a story about how an object was made.