Loewe showcase champions beautiful design over narrating trends with clever craftsmanship and innovative design details

Northern Irish, Dalston-based designer Jonathan Anderson has been at the helm of the 171-year-old Spanish leather goods brand since 2013
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Emma McCarthy29 September 2017

Jonathan Anderson confirmed his position as one of Paris's most innovative designers this morning as he unveiled a collection which put fashion's potential to wearable works of art in the frame.

Staging his latest showcase for Loewe in a stark gallery - described by the designer as a "curated white space" - which exhibited images of the brand's artistic new campaign on hanging tapestries, the mood was that of a blank canvas; of stripping fashion back to its seams and championing beautiful design over narrating trends. But that's not to say this collection was simplistic.

For the Northern Irish, Dalston-based designer, who has been at the helm of the 171-year-old Spanish leather goods brand since 2013, a devotion to craftsmanship has long served as a calling card in collections which focus as much on the fine details as they do the bigger picture.

Raw hessian linen dresses were cut so they fell fluidly on the body while others were crafted from a patchwork of candy-coloured silks.

EPA

Ideas were repeated throughout, from the richly textured woven jackets which were reflected in the wall tapestries, to the fringed effect of a logo tote bag mirrored on a slash-ribbed sweater.

A classic trench coat, the fabric shredded at the hem and sleeves, was also among the many ways the designer sought to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary, along with basic white jersey dresses finished with a harlequin patched collage.

And then there were the shoes. In an series of styles possibly best described as reptilian in appearance, Anderson presented ankle boots adorned with a crocodile-like spiked trim running down the centre and trainers which curled up at the toe like a lizard's tail.

EPA

They were perhaps the most challenging and divisive proposition on the catwalk today and one which is likely to prove marmite to fashion fans.

But as every great artist knows, you can't please everyone.

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