Summer is approaching, so of course, Loewe’s captivating collection Paula’s Ibiza (available in stores and at loewe.com) is arriving with it. In this case, the line reads as a closing chapter, marking the final collection conceived by the House’s in-house studio before the arrival of the new creative directors. This last edition lives up to Loewe’s legacy, bringing with it that unique idea of a natural, carefree and playfully ironic femininity. This season, to reinforce its vision of womanhood, the House presents a collection filled with handcrafted pieces and nature-inspired motifs, alongside a campaign featuring the striking pictures taken by Jack Pierson.
The collection brings us back to the original Paula’s boutique in Ibiza in 1972, founded by Armin Heinemann, who brought together all the eclecticism that characterised some of the most emblematic decades of the last century. This tacit connection between the fashion house and the island boutique dates a few years back, to when the brand’s former creative director, Jonathan Anderson, had the excellent vision that both worlds should collide and collaborate. Since then, Paula’s collections have, in one way or another, always carried a nostalgic sense of timeless summers by the Mediterranean Sea. This year, they aim to communicate the vitality that only summer is able to provide, presenting a range of carefree and playful pieces and accessories that emphasise the craft of basketry and crochet.
It doesn’t matter where you spend your summer holidays. Paula’s Ibiza seeks to democratise the idea of summer, so that anyone who is trying to survive the heat, whether by taking a swim in the Mediterranean Sea or under the AC in their flat, is able to show off the pieces and make the heatwave a little more pleasant with them. That’s the message conveyed through Jack Pierson’s lens, the dichotomy between summer by the sea or summer in the city, expressed through the striking contrast created by the campaign’s shifting locations. The interiors evoke the metropolis while the backdrops suggest island life.
That same spirit carries into the collection itself. The gaze of the campaign aligns naturally with Paula’s Ibiza’s effortless aura. Far from polished perfection, the tones of the photographs feel like that precious memory of an untroubled summer.
The collection activates a perception of womanhood that only comes once a year, when Loewe presents us with the marvellous creations of its summer collection. It stands out for its many new pieces, such as new silhouettes of bags made with natural fibres and handmade details. They bring back the natural spirit of Paula’s Ibiza, finding the faultless balance between summer heat and sensuality through draped dresses, loose layers, layered shirts, summer bags inspired by gardens teeming with life, and flowy silhouettes to wear wherever the summer breeze might take you
