Loewe’s Fall/Winter 2022 Show Was A Lesson In Fearless Dressing

Just when you thought Jonathan Anderson’s creativity had reached its peak, the designer and mastermind behind Loewe shocked us all yet again. Amidst the deflated pumpkin sculptures (by British artist Anthea Hamilton), Loewe’s Fall/Winter 2022 showcase took flight — and was a true feast for the eyes. Between the car-shaped mini dresses and balloon-bedecked footwear, attendees were sucked into the brand’s wild and wacky world that it has become synonymous with.

Yes, it seems Anderson cherry-picked all the quirky and whimsical elements of post-lockdown fashion — sultry cutouts, exaggerated silhouettes, clowncore — and inflated them in a way that only he could. Case in point: the aforementioned structured mini dresses. While Fashion Month runways have certainly signaled the rise of oversized and embellished ball skirts, Loewe’s take was more avant garde, showcasing bottoms that took on interesting shapes like cars, or covered in fur, and breastplates shaped like lips.

According to the show notes, the mission of this latest collection was to get a reaction. “Fashion that entices a reaction, stripped bare to a crude primitiveness with the thrill of kink,” reads the release. “Touch is stimulated: leather, felt, latex, tweed, knit, 3D printed fiber, silk, resin. Movement is caught, objects are trapped.”

Indeed, interesting and exaggerated structure and shape-shifting apparel was certainly the name of the game here as Loewe literally took some of fall’s favorite essentials and super-sized them. Turtleneck sweaters featured donut-like necklines, sherpa-lined outerwear was extreme and balloon-like, and classic tees and sweaters featured blown-up, topsy-turvy graphics. It was a literal fashion free-for-all.

“The chaos of genesis is rebuilt through items that are not defeatist,” read the show notes. “Eye can feel texture in a big bang that starts from the beginning of mankind and jumps to the industrial revolution.”

Also catching eyes were the accessories. Sack-like, drawstring boots, balloon-shaped heels, and large tinsel-like bows marched down the runway, proving “weird” shoes will likely be the trend du jour come fall. As for handbags, Loewe made a case for the clutch, showing the style in a variety of iterations, including the still-prominent pillow-like shape, as well as fur-lined and shell-like forms.

“The flick of a dress, frozen in time,” explains the show notes. “Puffer blousons, puffed up knit dresses. More draping, a trompe-l’oeil embrace and more balloons, down to the heels. Kinky denim boots. Seatbelt sandals. The Flamenco and Goya are puffed up, the Puzzle becomes solid colors, archetypes are inflated.”

It’s clearly just another magical day in Anderson’s world. Take a look at the highlights from the fantastical presentation below.