The brilliant Loewe gallery in Barcelona is to host an exhibition of its history, paying tribute to Javier Carvajal, who modernised its image and caused its international rise to prominence.
It’s a time of celebration for the prestigious fashion brand Loewe in Barcelona. At the recently renovated Loewe Gallery, located on the Paseo de Gracia, an exhibition covering the last half century of the brand´s history is currently being shown
The whole story began when the Barcelona architect Javier Carvajar met Enrique Loewe Knappe, a member of the brand’s founding family, at the Milan Triennale in 1957.
History of an emblem
Shortly after this first meeting, Carvajal began a brilliant period in Loewe’s history, during which he modernised the image of a brand which today is synonymous with of luxury and distinction.
The fifties, sixties and seventies were the time of the most significant national expansion for Loewe, as well as new ventures abroad: London in 1963 and Tokyo and Hong Kong in the seventies.
With Enrique Loewe Lynch, the growth hardly knew any limits. Collaborative agreements were signed with Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld. Prêt-à-porter collections arrived and iconic bags like the Amazona and the Flamenco arrived. These items remain Loewe classics decades later.
With LVMH‘s purchase of the brand, Loewe became Spain’s international crown jewel of international luxury. Narciso Rodriguez took the reins as creative director and, soon after, Stuart Vevers and the current incumbent, Jonathan W. Anderson, arrived.
All this has been brought about without ever losing the essence of the brand, a masterful craft with material and finishes of the very highest quality. This distinction has carried the brand to the point of being a leading light on the world scale.
The Loewe Gallery
As a leading European destination for shopping, Barcelona has a veritable avenue of luxury: the Passeig de Gracia. This is the location chosen by the famous luxury fashion brand to install its Loewe Gallery in Barcelona (91 Pg de Gracia), in line with the already existent counterpart in Madrid.
It is an elegant gallery, which uses its 580m2 floorspace to display the best of Loewe´s work past and present. It also hosts exhibitions such as that dedicated to Anna Bauer under the name “Backstage” or the more recent homage to Javier Carvajal.
Its exhibits allow views to connect deeply with the essence and the true meaning of the brand. Inside, there are reproductions such as one of the showcase devised by Perez Rozas in 1960. And as soon as you step outside, you can enjoy the architecture of La Pedrera, designed by Antoni Gaudi.
The building has five floors which document the history and values of Loewe. From silk to leather, all of the materials which have characterised the brand can be seen in a tree, which visitors can see and touch.
With the Carvajal exhibit at Loewe in Barcelona, the new creative director, Jonathan Anderson, is recalling a period of great success for the brand while he prepares Loewe for a promotional stage.
Cities such as Barcelona and Madrid are crucial to Loewe and LVMH’s new strategy. Their flagship stores, located in the cities’ central streets, show off the very best of the brand. In this role, the Loewe Gallery in Barcelona is a real ambassador of a luxury brand. A brand at the height of fashion in Barcelona.
