STYLE Edit: Get festive with Loewe’s Christmas Gifting Collection: the Spanish brand presents leather fashion pieces inspired by the British Arts and Crafts movement
- The Puzzle, Flamenco and Amazona bags, and Round backpack, were shot by American fashion photographer Tyler Mitchell in a stylish new holiday campaign
- The owl and heart motifs were drawn from the work of C.F.A. Voysey, a leading light of the 19th century British movement that championed traditional craftsmanship
The British 19th century Arts and Crafts movement was a transformative point in the history of the decorative arts, a movement that championed traditional craftsmanship and folk art aesthetics over mass production and needless ornamentation. It paved the way for the globally influential art nouveau style, and its influence continues to be felt to this day.
The movement has also long been a reference point for another hugely influential cultural entity that emerged in Europe in the middle of the 19th century: Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe, which has been creating coveted leather goods since 1846. These days, of course, the much-admired maison creates a lot more than that, with a portfolio of goodies that also comprises clothing, accessories, fragrances – and gifts.
Each year, the brand produces the Gifting Collection, a holiday selection of leather goods and accessories that blend beauty, craftsmanship, usefulness and – crucially – fun! For some years now, these Christmas capsule collections have been inspired by the stars of the Arts and Crafts movement, and this year it’s the turn of Charles Francis Annesley Voysey, better known as C.F.A. Voysey (1857-1941), a pioneering architect, furniture and textile designer who was a major influence on modernist architecture and decorative arts.
“Simplicity in decoration is one of the essential qualities without which no true richness is possible,” he once said – an attitude to aesthetics that perfectly echoes Loewe’s, and demonstrates why the Arts and Crafts movement has been such an influence for the company, with each item in its Gifting Collection reflecting its belief that the most thoughtful gifts are simple but beautiful ones.
