LOEWE SPRING SUMMER 2020 MEN’S COLLECTION – PARIS FASHION WEEK

Populating the LOEWE Men’s Spring Summer 2020 show space inside the auditorium of the Maison de l’UNESCO, nine works by the London- based artist Hilary Lloyd are shown on monitors mounted on vertical chrome columns and trolleys. Spanning almost a decade (2008-17), the works examine aspects of the natural and built worlds, often capturing off the-cuff or staged moments from the artist’s everyday experience.

The shifting character of Lloyd’s gaze —fixed, fluid or fractured— combines with an emphasis on the physical apparatus of the installation to imbue her work with sculptural presence and subliminal eroticism. From near-static works such as Shirt and Plant to the looping repetition or disco-style strobing of Easter Bunny and Jewellery, Lloyd’s works resist classical notions of duration whilst imposing a formalised, architectural frame.

In dialogue with Lloyd’s work, the collection invokes otherworldly perspectives of the day-to-day through a dream-like filter. Long and pure, the silhouette revolves around harmonious ensembles of texture and line disrupted, at times, by the tension of new volumes. Affirming LOEWE’s dedication to global craft, the house signature oro ‘cashmere’ suede mingles with locally-woven textiles in tunic and caftan shapes with split placket and buckled yoke details. From Bangladesh: hand-embroidered red and white cotton; from Burkina Faso: hand-dyed and woven indigo cloth; and from Japan: ultrafine blue linen denim and punched cotton gauze.

Complementing nautical archetypes from sailor’s shirts to washed silk dungarees, monochrome short suits in layers of poplin and voile meet airy knits and tanks in chevron or vertical stripes. Technical satin appears in accents on dry wool tuxedos or as an unlined raglan trench coat, as the new LOEWE tailoring returns with a relaxed two-button peaked lapel blazer. Moon disc pendants are worn like totems, and organza lilies sprout marabou feathers as earrings and a brooch.

Expanding on the season’s nomadic mood, thatched moccasins, suede link sandals and boat shoes evoke outdoor summer pursuits, as lace-up boots in espadrille stripes channel LOEWE’s Spanish roots. The geometric Berlingo shoulder bag is introduced in a large size in suede, toile and calfskin. The iconic Puzzle bag is revisited in a deconstructed silhouette in supple smooth calf leather, and a new Shopper Backpack in soft napa calf leather references LOEWE’s leather savoir-faire.