By the 60s, Loewe had its own innovative magazine Forma, featuring a bold graphic style that is as groovy as the decade. While clients still needed neat bags in dark colours for weekdays, snake and exotic leathers were all the rage for the weekend. In 1963, the brand reached London and by the 70s, Hong Kong and Tokyo, while in the same period, the rapid rise of tourism to Spanish coastal resorts meant that some discerning sun-seekers choose Loewe leather goods as distinguished souvenirs. Expansion was now spearheaded by Enrique Loewe Lynch, and it was the great grandson of the founders vision to sign future fashion titans, Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani to design collections of ready-to-wear clothing in textiles and in leather labelled Loewe. As the production director of the company, he oversaw the launch of Ante Oro, a line of golden suede bags and luggage.
In 1975, Loewe launched the first flexible handbag in sporty and unlined suede. The Franco era was over and Spanish women embraced the Amazona - its name signifying female strength - to symbolise their liberty. Women across the Western world, enjoying equality and independence, snapped up this ultimate feminist and feminine accessory. The technical breakthrough that made an exquisite unlined bag possible was achieved thanks to master craftsmen who ensured that every stitch, inside and out,was perfect.
A cultural volcano erupted on the Madrid scene in the beginning of the 80s, called La Movida which brought an explosion of 24-hour partying, radical art and fashion, and the first lurid yet tender romances of Pedro Almodóvar. Loewe underwent its own revolution with the use of super soft Spanish napa - so fine, it had previously been reserved for garments - being utilized for a groundbreaking and unstructured bag called Flamenco. The mood of radical freedom sweeping Loewes native city found expression in this sexy bag which was so light, it could mould to a womans body over the course of a wild night out. As Madrid shook off the last vestiges of its rigid past, Flamenco, which was almost without structure and came in an array of colors as vivid as the citys new mood, became the visual expression of women going all out to break old rules.
In 1992, The eyes of the world were on a confident and modern democracy as The Olympic Games were staged in Barcelona, the World Expo came to Seville and Madrid was elected European City of Culture (a euphoric time recaptured in Pedro Almodóvars 2009 movie “Los Abrazos Rotos” (Broken Embraces), set in the early 90s and starring Penélope Cruz sporting a Loewe silk scarf). Loewe celebrated the richness of Spains past in a flamboyant collection of bags titled “Velázquez”, inspired by the 17th century masters use of texture and hue. It entered the 21st century as a truly global brand and, in 2007, launched the Napa Aire; yet another ground breaker as this unstructured leather bag is available in an unprecedented sixteen colors.
In 1996, the worlds leading international luxury goods group, LVMH acquired Loewe, following an international distribution agreement first struck in 1985. This facilitated both global expansion and protected an exceptional company for the future. Leather bags ,leather and suede garments of a quality few can hope to match, desireable small leather goods, as well as silk scarves and ties continued d to be the pillars of Loewe. In 1997, American Narciso Rodríguez was hired to create Loewes ready-to-wear. From 2003 to 2007, this was the role of the Belgian, José Enrique Oa Selfa.
In 2008, Stuart Vevers was named Creative Director. A new dawn was signalled with easy bags that were relaxed yet luxurious to touch, while Vevers also went back to the soul of the eternal Amazona and modified it with a light hand, adding such modern essentials as pockets for cellphone and wallet. A trench coat of astonishing lightness signaled an ongoing dedication to Loewes supreme mastery as a leather maker combining tradition, innovation and excellence.
A guarantee of quality since its beginnings, Loewes signatures have evolved over the years. The legend, Loewe Madrid 1846, is used sometimes discreetly, sometimes boldly on bags and garments, while the famous Anagram insignia, a mirror play of four baroque Ls and referred to locally as “el cangrejo” (the crab), always appears on the Amazona bag to reinforce the supreme quality of this icon. Today, the Anagram is also used as bold metal hardware ornamentation in the custom jewelry collection and as a decorative pattern on the canvas collection, which is called Anagram in its honor. Given that the pronunciation of Loewe might be challenging to some, the Anagram also serves as a purely visual signal, recognized around the world as the guarantee of an unique quality from a startlingly unique country- Spain, the land of color and contrast, passion and culture.
refinement [rifainmnt] n. 精制;文雅
unprecedented [,npresidntid] adj. 空前的;无前例的
startlingly [‘sta:tlili] adv. 惊人地;使人惊奇地
这是一个始于1846年的公司,可以说是全球最古老的奢华皮具品牌之一。
西班牙首都马德里,是一个既雍容华丽又充满活力的城市,是罗意威灵魂深处的所在。西班牙最独特的一点,就是虽然已是国际化大都市,但仍保有过去的风貌:既国际化又传统的美食和建筑,荣获奥斯卡金像奖的电影明星。西班牙精神仍然生生不息同时愈发醇厚。
马德里是一个属于大胆创新的人的城市,也就是我们故事的起始点,一位名为恩里克·罗意威·罗斯伯格的移民者,从故乡德国旅行超过一千英里,来到这里,创立一个以他的名字为名的公司。
在罗意威到处都可以感受到西班牙独有的性感魅力。如此难以用语言形容的柔软皮革,一触即知。对西班牙人来说,奢华的呈现就是罗意威,传承世代的瑰宝,其经典的Amazona手袋历经数十年至今仍是经典,更是母亲留给女儿的传家之宝。或皮衣,越经常穿越好看。
1846年,马德里正陷入一股婚宴狂热,准备波旁皇后伊莎贝尔二世和她的妹妹Infanta María Luisa Fernanda的皇室婚礼。在窄窄的街巷里,有一群皮革师傅忙着应付大家想要购买手袋、零钱包、盒子和雪茄包的需求。1872年,Enrique Loewe Roessberg将他在制造皮革制品方面的技巧和其他工匠的技艺结合,收到很大的反响,到了1890年代,当地贵族都挤到这个名为calle del Príncipe的小店,抢购店内的所有依据宫殿贵族的需求而订制的物品。
1905 年,皇室婚礼的风潮再起。新国王与皇后-Alfonso XIII与 Victoria Eugenia (英国维多利亚女王的侄女),赐予罗意威“皇室皮件供应商”的荣誉头衔。此时,经营者为创办人的儿子Enrique Loewe Hilton,开始制作女性蜥蜴皮、鳄鱼皮或蛇皮手袋。也让Loewe成为代表优雅高贵的皮具品牌。