Loewe Fall 2025 Ad Campaign, Photo by Arnaud Lajeunie
Everything is connected, including everyone and everything, even in a vast and complex industry like the fashion industry. Any two people on earth can be linked through a chain of mutual acquaintance in no more than six steps.
The fashion industry is a network of connections—comprising designers, brands, influencers, and consumers—that share and build upon creative ideas. A designer might have worked with a mentor who, in turn, worked with another designer, creating a chain of connections within the industry.
This concept is further illustrated by tracing connections between consumers, designers, and brands. Among the luxury labels with the most impressive roster of creative directors are Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. However, right now, Loewe, known for its luxurious and innovative leather goods, as well as its commitment to craftsmanship and artistic expression, seems to be at the center of almost everything.
Loewe jacket in nappa lambskin, $9500, draped trousers in silk and cotton,$1800, loewe.com
Including those balloon pants you’re seeing all over the spring runways. Anderson is known for popularizing whimsical, balloon-like silhouettes in recent years, particularly during his tenure as creative director at Loewe. His re-imagining of the style involved creating innovative and artful iterations that went viral.
In January 2025, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez announced that they were leaving Proenza Schouler, the label they founded in 2002 as recent graduates of the Parsons School of Design. In March 2025, after much speculation, it was announced that the duo had been appointed as the new creative directors of Loewe, succeeding Jonathan Anderson, effective April 7, 2025. Their first collection will be unveiled during Paris Fashion Week in October.
Proenza Schouler Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear Photo by Launchmetrics Spotlight for The Impression
I was a longtime fan of Jack and Lazaro. Known for its effortless blend of sophistication and edge, fine materials, and modern, often architectural silhouettes, Proenza Schouler’s runway shows always served as a NYFW highlight. Unfortunately, the spring 2026 collection was not as strong or cohesive as it has been in the past.
In all fairness, Rachel Scott, who is also founder and creative director of Diotima, was named as Proenza Schouler’s new creative director on September 2nd, and she only had a hand in this collection. Rachel’s complete vision won’t be seen until 2026.
Rachel is riding high these days. The Jamaican-born designer is nominated for American Women’s Wear Designer of the Year at the 2025 CFDA Fashion Awards for her work with her label Diotima, known for its blend of traditional Caribbean crochet, European tailoring, and refined craftsmanship.
Diotima Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear Photo by Weston Wells for WWD
This marks Scott’s third consecutive year as a nominee or winner, following her wins for the CFDA Emerging Designer of the Year award in 2023 and the American Women’s Wear Designer of the Year award in 2024.
“This season, we’ve been editing, taking each piece back to its purest form, as if it were seen in the clearest, brightest morning light. That cleanness gave me a sense of optimism and possibility. “- Stuart Vevers, Coach Creative Director
This is a very uneven season to say the least, but of course, there were things that stood out. I really liked Coach, designed by Stuart Vevers, the award-winning British-born designer who served as creative director of Loewe from 2008 to 2013.
Vevers’ superbly styled, concise spring collection focuses on simplicity.
Coach Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear Photo by Isadore Montag for gorunway.com
Vevers’ point of reference is the “grit and shine” of New York City’s urban landscape. The designer masterfully balances polished and worn-in aesthetics to appeal to the brand’s next generation of customers.
Coach Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear Photo by Isadore Montag for Gorunway.com
With its genderless silhouettes, meticulously treated leathers, oversized upcycled denim workwear pieces, the collection has a gritty yet refined aesthetic. I especially like the silhouette, which starts very tailored and fitted on top and trails into something long, fluid, and ethereal. There is so much oversized, loose, and languid on the runways. I believe that most people benefit from some tailoring and structure on top of it.
In addition to scarves tied as chokers and the standout handbags with Bonnie Cashin’s reimagined signature kiss-lock hardware, there are coin purses worn as pendants. Similar versions at a fraction of the price are available on Amazon.com. All I could think was that Vevers would have done a great job at Calvin Klein.
Coach Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear Photo by Isadore Montag for Gorunway.com
Speaking of Calvin, Narciso Rodriguez, who served as creative director of Loewe from 1997 to 2000, worked as a design assistant for women’s wear at Calvin Klein from 1991 to 1995. During his time there, he met Carolyn Bessette, who would later wear the iconic wedding dress he designed while working at Cerruti.
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in her Narciso Rodriguez wedding gown with Anthony Radziwill, 1996
We can’t get enough of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s enigmatic personal style, and we can’t stop talking about that iconic wedding dress, which defied the ornate bridal trends of the era, ushering in a new “quiet luxury” and minimalist aesthetic that continues to inspire brides and fashion designers today.
It’s probably not a well-known fact that Giorgio Armani designed for Loewe during the 1980s, when he and Laura Biagiotti collaborated on the brand’s womenswear lines, adding a touch of Italian sophistication to the Spanish label’s offerings.
Kallmeyer Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear Photo by Daniele Oberrauch for Gorunway.com.
In the aftermath of Giorgio’s recent passing, the revered designer’s legacy endures, and many have noticed Armani’s lasting influence on the NYFW runways. Of course, I can’t help but see vestiges of Helmut Lang and Raf Simons.
Karl Lagerfeld was another major talent who contributed to Loewe’s ready-to-wear collections in the early stages of the brand’s expansion into fashion in the 1970s and 1980s. Of course, Lagerfeld’s name will always be associated with Chanel.
The label Karl reinvented and modernized is perhaps the most storied fashion brand on the planet. Matthieu Blazy’s upcoming debut as Chanel’s creative director will undoubtedly be one of the most highly anticipated moments of Paris Fashion Week, but in a season of designer debuts, it’s certainly not the only one.
Loewe Spring 2024 Ready-to-Wear Photo by Getty Images
Jonathan Anderson served as creative director at Loewe from 2013 to 2015. Anderson is widely credited with revitalizing the Spanish heritage brand during his tenure, transforming the once-conservative brand into a culturally relevant and commercially successful powerhouse known for its avant-garde designs.
Anderson made his Dior Men’s debut with the Spring/Summer 2026 collection at Paris Fashion Week on June 27, 2025. Jonathan’s vision for Dior women will be unveiled in Paris next month.
By the way, I’m more than ready to be wowed and surprised. There’s so much talk of streamlined minimalism and natural, organic, easy glamour during NYFW. Nothing new about that. Enough already. I’m ready for some unnatural glamour! Pour it on.
