Divine was an icon of decadence, glamour, 1970s cinema culture, Baltimore, and the epitome of trash. Her attitude towards life, art and society was unapologetically honest, fun, provocative and radical. Her starring roles in emblematic films of underground LGBT+ culture such as Pink Flamingos and Hairspray turned the gender-bending character into one of the most polarizing but renowned figures in pop culture. Today, Loewe launches a special double collaboration with the Estate of Divine: a capsule collection and an online exclusive exhibition.
“Divine, nee Harris Glenn Milstead, was quite simply larger than life. He was in every sense – as a man, a performer, a personality and a body. To me, he is the embodiment of self-determination,” says Loewe’s Creative Director Jonathan Anderson. “He preempted the glorification of trash, the mix of high and low, the fantastic erasure of gender barriers. I thought it was time to celebrate him, the Loewe way: with a limited-edition collection inspired by his looks and a museum exhibition honouring his artistry.”
But as the Covid-19 pandemic spread worldwide and the BLM protests sprang across the US, production was halted, and the physical exhibition that had to take place in Loewe’s flagship store in Madrid as part of PhotoEspaña festival has been put on hold. But that doesn’t mean all their efforts have been in vain. To better meet this moment, they’ve moved to Loewe’s website and you can buy a few pieces of the capsule collection online too – three t-shirts and a Cushion tote bag (15% of the proceeds will be donated to Visual AIDS, an organization which utilizes art to fight HIV/AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting artists living with HIV, and preserving a legacy).
But as the Covid-19 pandemic spread worldwide and the BLM protests sprang across the US, production was halted, and the physical exhibition that had to take place in Loewe’s flagship store in Madrid as part of PhotoEspaña festival has been put on hold. But that doesn’t mean all their efforts have been in vain. To better meet this moment, they’ve moved to Loewe’s website and you can buy a few pieces of the capsule collection online too – three t-shirts and a Cushion tote bag (15% of the proceeds will be donated to Visual AIDS, an organization which utilizes art to fight HIV/AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting artists living with HIV, and preserving a legacy).
