Leather looks great in denim

A COLLISION of classic and funky as well as leather and denim, the popular Loewe handbags from Spain have a fresh line courtesy of Comme des Garcon designer Junya Watanabe. PP Group, the Thai distributor, unveiled the limited edition recently at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. 

PP co-founder Orand Puipunthavong pointed out that this is the first time Loewe and Comme des Garcon have joined hands. Loewe invited Watanabe to see what he could do with its luxurious napa leather. He introduced it to Japanese denim in a marriage of the expertise for which each brand is renowned.

Loewe creative director Stuart Vevers met Watanabe over a cup of tea in Tokyo in November 2012. “I’ve always been a fan of Junya’s work, of the way he twists classics, and I wanted to see his take on Loewe.”

It so happens that this year is the 400th anniversary of trade relations between Spain and Japan, a fellowship that Hasekura Tsunenaga established with the royal family in Madrid in 1713. It’s also 40 years since Loewe bags were first sold in Japan. “We’d been talking about special projects during this year of Japan,” says Vevers, “and everything came together.”

Adrain Wong, Loewe’s media manager for Asia-Pacific, said Vevers and Watanabe swapped ideas back and forth by email. “The result is amazing, and it opens both brands to whole new audiences.”

Watanabe says this is the first time he’s collaborated with a specific designer at a brand, “so I was nervous at the beginning. But all along, Loewe’s approach has been, ‘Request whatever you want and we will listen.’ They’ve been really good to me. When I rather selfishly presented what I wanted to do, Stuart just said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.”’

Loewe produced prototypes last January and Watanabe travelled to Madrid to see them. “I was amazed by the way in which Junya’s interpretation of Loewe’s iconic elements was completely different,” says Vevers. “He also showed us the Amazona bag in a whole new light. I’m confident that we’ve created a collection which will shake up the general perception of Loewe.”

Available in four sizes, the Amazona comes in patchwork leather and in leather decorated with denim patches, along with pouches, purses and a tote. There are plenty of nods to Watanabe’s urban aesthetic in the collection, which cut-and-pastes Loewe’s super-soft napa with Watanabe’s denims in easy-to-wear pieces.

“Other distinguishing features include Loewe’s iconic lock and the two zips instead of one to create two compartments. The look is more street, more punk, and more different,” says Wong.

Loewe and Watanabe have also produced eight items of casual clothing. There’s a jeans-style jacket in napa, a patchwork leather skirt, a miniskirt in leather and denim, two styles of leather and denim jeans for women, and for men a denim jacket with leather sleeves and leather and denim jeans.