OUR HISTORY
180 years of craft
Founded in 1846 by a collective of artisans in Madrid, LOEWE is the second-oldest luxury fashion house in the world. Nearly two centuries on, we carry forward our heritage of innovative craft, bold creativity, and leather excellence.
1846
WORKSHOP
BEGINNINGS
1846
1892
WORKSHOP
BEGINNINGS
1892
Our first store
The House, originally called E. Loewe, opens a large store and workshop on calle Príncipe, one of late 19th century Madrid’s most fashionable streets. Described as a ‘Factory of Fine Leather Goods’, it creates all kinds of small leather goods and begins to design women's handbags.
1905
A ROYAL
WARRANT
1905
LOEWE becomes an official supplier to the Spanish Royal Crown, an honour granted to the second generation owner of the House, Enrique Loewe Hinton by King Alfonso XIII.
1910s
FIRST STEPS
IN BARCELONA
1910s
1939
A NEW
FLAGSHIP
1939
LOEWE inaugurates a flagship store on Gran Vía in central Madrid. Led by prestigious architect Francisco Ferrer Bartolomé, the project is later reformed to add striking semicircular windows that mask the view of the interior to pedestrians while highlighting products against large curtains — a new concept that contributes to building the House’s image of luxury and refinement.
1940s
LEGENDARY
WINDOWS
1940s
1950s
TEACHING
LEATHER CRAFT
1950s
The brand opens a leading leather craft factory in the centre of Madrid, on Calle Ferrocarril. A school of leather craft is also created, with a structured system of teachers and apprentices ensuring knowledge is passed from one generation to the next.
Storied clientele
Madrid at this time is widely revered for its prosperous and glamorous international milieu. According to legend, famed writer Ernest Hemingway gifts a LOEWE bag to actress Ava Gardner while in the city. The House’s client list now includes cultural luminaries and influential royalty, including Princess Grace of Monaco. The carefully preserved signature book of the LOEWE Gran Vía store testifies to their visits.
1960
ARCHITECTURAL
INNOVATION
1960
LOEWE introduces its first women’s ready-to-wear pieces.
The same year, the House inaugurates a space on calle Serrano in Madrid’s Golden Mile district. New stores soon follow in Bilbao, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Seville, Granada, Córdoba, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Tangier, and San Sebastian, the traditional summer holiday retreat of the Royal Family.
1963
A NEW
CITY
1963
LOEWE arrives in London, opening a store on Old Bond Street.
1970
THE
ANAGRAM
1970
Designer Vicente Vela creates LOEWE’s Anagram motif, a distinctive monogram of four ‘L’s that takes inspiration from the original branding irons used to emboss high quality leather.
1970s
WOMENSWEAR
GOES
INTERNATIONAL
1970s
The women’s ready-to-wear collections that first launched in 1960 are now launched internationally. The 1970s are marked by significant international expansion, with LOEWE arriving through stores and stockists in cities including Brussels, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Tokyo, Singapore, and Osaka.
1972
LAUNCHING
LOEWE
PERFUMES
1972
1983
INTRODUCING
MENSWEAR
1983
LOEWE launches men’s ready-to-wear.
1985
INTERNATIONAL
EXPANSION
1985
Louis Vuitton, later the LVMH group, becomes a shareholder in LOEWE. During this period, LOEWE established itself in several European capitals and enjoys an ever-increasing presence in Asia with new stores in Japan, Singapore and China.
1988
LAUNCHING
LOEWE
FOUNDATION
1988
1990s
JOINING
LVMH
1990s
In the year of LOEWE’s 150th birthday, the House is acquired by the LVMH Group. The company modernises its operations, opening a new factory on the outskirts of Madrid.
2002
HONOURING
LOEWE
FOUNDATION
2002
The LOEWE FOUNDATION is awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts, the highest honour granted by the Spanish government.
2014
REIMAGINING
LOEWE
2014
Jonathan Anderson debuts as creative director, and LOEWE reveals a new brand identity in collaboration with design studio M/M (Paris). Anderson’s first collection campaign is shot by legendary photographer Steven Meisel.
2015
LAUNCHING
THE PUZZLE
2015
The Puzzle bag is launched. Quickly a LOEWE icon, the Puzzle is defined by its distinctive cuboid structure, composed of 75 leather pieces in a range of sizes, colours, leathers, and animations.
2016
THE
CRAFT PRIZE
2016
Salone del Mobile
LOEWE stages its inaugural installation during the Salone del Mobile design fair in Milan. The project showcases the House’s intricate craft with a set of early 20th-century oak furniture applied with leather marquetry. Subsequent Salone exhibitions include LOEWE Baskets in 2019; Weave, Restore, Renew in 2022; LOEWE Chairs in 2023; and LOEWE Teapots in 2025.
2017
CELEBRATING
CRAFT
2017
The brand launches the first of its Paula’s Ibiza collections in collaboration with the legendary Ibizan boutique Paula’s. Fusing bohemian coastal dressing with Paula’s playful archive prints, the annual capsule collection presents effortless summer wear and accessories.
Capsule collections
Seasonal capsule collections are launched with an homage to leading figures in the Arts and Crafts movement, including William Morris in 2017, followed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 2018, and William de Morgan in 2019. These winter capsules begin a tradition of reviving the work, aesthetics, and achievements of historical artists, reinterpreting their enduring creative vision in a modern collection of RTW, bags, and accessories. Later projects include collections inspired by Japanese ceramicist Takuro Kuwata, American artist Ken Price, and British potter Bernard Leach.
2019
REDESIGNING
OUR STORES
2019
The CASA LOEWE concept is launched with CASA LOEWE Madrid, a space where LOEWE fashion collections are interspersed with art, craft and design. Offering a refined, personal, and culturally rich encounter, CASA LOEWE is designed to convey the warmth and style of a private residence, showcasing works from LOEWE’s growing collection of artworks. From painting and sculpture to craft objects and furniture, the collection reflects a fluid relationship between art forms, rotating seasonally to create an ever-shifting series of installations.
2020
LOEWE
HOME SCENTS
2020
LOEWE launches Home Scents, a collection of home fragrances inspired by the vitality of a vegetable garden. The collection features candles, diffusers and sprays in scents including beetroot, tomato leaves, oregano, coriander, luscious pea, scent of marihuana, and honeysuckle.
The same year, the House’s perfume collection is relaunched as Botanical Rainbow, and the existing iconic fragrances are reimagined in a new colour-based system: a rainbow-shaded repertoire of scent with distinctive block-shaped flasks.
2021
THE SURPLUS
PROJECT
2021
The Surplus Project launches with a series of Woven basket bags crafted using the excess high-quality leathers left over from previous LOEWE collections. The range highlights the increasing importance of environmentally conscious practices in the House’s seasonal collections, offering an opportunity to craft something beautiful from precious resources while increasing circularity and minimising waste.
2021
A NEW
AWARD
2021
The LOEWE FOUNDATION / Studio Voltaire Award is launched in collaboration with London-based non-profit contemporary art space Studio Voltaire. Created in response to the challenges facing emerging and under-represented artists in the face of COVID, the award gives seven artists two years of support through rent-free studio space, professional development opportunities, and a bursary.
2023
STUDIO
GHIBLI
2023
The House launches its third and final collaboration with Studio Ghibli, the Howl’s Moving Castle capsule, following collections for animated classics My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Spirited Away (2001). Celebrating a shared commitment to craft and storytelling, the collections bring unforgettable characters and scenes of the films to life with an array of intricately crafted ready-to-wear, bags, and accessories.
2023
ART &
MUSIC
2023
Lynda Benglis
Pioneering American artist Lynda Benglis creates an installation of monumental bronze sculptures for the SS24 men's and women’s runway shows, as well as a limited-edition jewellery collection.
2024
NEW
RETROSPECTIVES
2024
Crafted World Shanghai
LOEWE's first major exhibition, Crafted World, opens to the public at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. A celebration of the House's rich history, Spanish roots, and dedication to craft, the exhibition provides an immersive experience where visitors can explore LOEWE's evolution from a leather-making collective in 19th century Madrid to a leading luxury fashion brand, showcasing the iconic designs and cultural collaborations that have shaped its identity over time.
The Met Gala
LOEWE sponsors the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring 2024 Costume Institute exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. Guests dressed in custom LOEWE for the Met Gala include Anna Wintour, Greta Lee, Jamie Dornan, Taylor Russell, Josh O’Connor, Ayo Edebiri, Dan Levy, Luca Guadagnino, and Ariana Grande.
2025
A NEW
ERA
2025
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez become creative directors of LOEWE. They initiate a new chapter anchored in an intellectual and playful approach to craft, the sensual energy of Spanish lifestyle, and LOEWE’s unmatched leather expertise.
2026
A NEW
ERA
2026
LOEWE marks its 180th anniversary, celebrating almost two centuries of craft as an art, imagination as a tool, and the House’s distinct, playful spirit. The House launches a four-year partnership with Spain’s men’s and women’s national football teams.
WORKSHOP
BEGINNINGS
ART &
MUSIC
NEW
RETROSPECTIVES
2024 BIS
A ROYAL
WARRANT
FIRST STEPS
IN BARCELONA
A NEW
FLAGSHIP
LEGENDARY
WINDOWS
TEACHING
LEATHER CRAFT
ARCHITECTURAL
INNOVATION
A NEW
CITY
THE
ANAGRAM
WOMENSWEAR
GOES
INTERNATIONAL
LAUNCHING
LOEWE
PERFUMES
INTRODUCING
MENSWEAR
INTERNATIONAL
EXPANSION
LAUNCHING
LOEWE
FOUNDATION
JOINING
LVMH
HONOURING
LOEWE
FOUNDATION
A NEW
ERA
REIMAGINING
LOEWE
LAUNCHING
THE PUZZLE
THE
CRAFT PRIZE
REDESIGNING
OUR STORES
LOEWE
HOME SCENTS
THE SURPLUS
PROJECT
STUDIO
GHIBLI
CELEBRATING
CHINESE
MONOCHROME
INNOVATING
THE RUNWAY
A NEW
AWARD
CELEBRATING
CRAFT