Loewe
The oldest brand in our selection was founded in Madrid in 1846. Initially it was a leather workshop. It was only 30 years later that the gifted tanner Enrique Löwe Rossberg, who arrived from Central Europe, consolidated production and also gave the company his name. It seems that after so many years of existence it is almost impossible to preserve your DNA. However, the brand succeeded. For almost two centuries, Loewe has been refining its leather craftsmanship, drawing on technological advances and new artistic trends. “Luxury is often confused with new wealth, with more money or with price,” Enrique Leve, the fourth generation of the family, tells Spanish newspaper El País. — Luxury is not visible and shiny bad taste, but a meaningful expression of the feeling of beauty from an object, life or person. I believe in true luxury.”
In 1965, the Loewe brand released its first ready-to-wear collection, but did not rely on it. In the 2000s, only 10% of the company’s revenue came from its ready-to-wear line. That changed when Jonathan Anderson took over as creative director in 2013. “Craft is the essence of Loewe,” says the designer. “As a brand, we are about craft in the purest sense of the word. This is our modernity, and it will always be relevant.” Anderson came up with the idea for the Puzzle bag, which has gained cult status since its release in 2014. Its unusual cuboid shape is hand-finished and has a flexible but distinctly geometric silhouette. Today there are many color versions of the bag.
In 2023, Loewe attracted attention with its sculptural and gravity-defying pieces. Emma Watson wore a dress from the brand’s spring-summer 2023 collection, the draping of which created the effect of movement. Jennifer Lawrence hit the red carpet in a Loewe dress that looked both 2D and 3D, and Emily Ratajkowski wore a giant lace Loewe top during Paris Fashion Week. Few people haven’t seen the red jumpsuit Rihanna wore to the 2023 Super Bowl. That same year, Beyoncé took to the stage during her Renaissance World Tour wearing a tight-fitting jumpsuit with hand prints, silver cargo pants, and 3D-printed bras.
The brand’s style tends to be avant-garde and often shocks the public, causing a storm of discussion. Each Loewe collection is inspired by the ideas of artists and other creative people. In 2023, the brand presented a collaboration with Studio Ghibli, dedicated to the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki. The fall-winter 2024 men’s collection is inspired by the collages of Richard Hawkins, while the women’s collection is inspired by the sculptures of Linda Benglis.
Loewe, autumn-winter 2023/24
Alaïa
French designer Azzedine Alaia was called the king of bodycon dresses. He worked with clothes like a sculptor, creating attractive curves and expressive silhouettes. Fabrics of any texture were subject to him, and only he knew how to transform a standard female figure and present it as a work of art.
Alaya learned to sew from his twin sister and then went to fine arts school. It was there that he began to feel the plasticity of female forms, fell in love with ancient culture and felt the ability to create outfits. “No other dress can make a woman look and feel as good as the Alaïa dress because it fits a woman’s body perfectly,” says Naomi Campbell, who knew the designer since she was 16 and called her dad.
Azzedine Alaïa worked for Christian Dior and then Guy Laroche before he began making clothes for private clients in his own salon on the Left Bank of the Seine. He also collaborated with designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Thierry Mugler and Charles Jourdan. In 1983, Alaïa opened a boutique in Beverly Hills and became sought after by celebrities for his form-fitting, figure-sculpting clothing lines. Alaïa spent little time on advertising, interviews and public speaking, instead choosing to spend his energy on what really mattered to him: his clients, creativity and life.
Today Alaïa is chosen by Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Michelle Obama. By the way, in the 1950s, Alaïa dressed Greta Garbo. For her, he sewed an A-line coat and straight trousers. Garbo’s rugged, silent beauty and monochrome clothing remained a source of inspiration for the designer throughout his career.
Alaïa, spring 2023
After the death of the designer in 2017, new collections are created in the best traditions of the brand: we still see intricately draped fabric, creative silhouettes and close-fitting cuts. The words “timelessness” and “investment pieces” are often used in fashion to refer to luxury items, but Alaïa’s work truly deserves such epithets. Women who buy the brand’s clothing know that they are purchasing items that will be worn for decades and then passed on to future generations.
Brunello Cucinelli
Brunello Cucinelli is called the king of cashmere. For almost half a century, the designer and founder of the brand has been associated with this soft, airy material. The son of farmers, accustomed to hard work since childhood, he dedicated his life to building harmony and beauty around him. Cucinelli got into fashion in 1978, dropping out of engineering school and buying a small knitting factory. At that time, cashmere was considered unfashionable and also expensive, so black, gray and brown models were made from it for older customers. Cucinelli decided to change this radically by releasing brightly colored sweaters in a casual style.
In the 1980s, production moved to the small village of Solomeo, located in the picturesque Umbrian hills. The choice of location is not accidental. It’s all because of love – Brunello Cucinelli married Federica Benda, who was born here. Since then he has been reviving this beautiful place. “Solomeo is a village of cashmere and harmony,” notes Cucinelli. — Schools of sewing, gardening, music, and arts and crafts are open here. I wanted to create a perfect place – for spiritual, moral, civic development. It is an open-air ‘monastery’ for your mind, study, soul, prayer and work, with great respect for the individual, regardless of his religion or gender.”
What is so special about Brunello Cucinelli cashmere? The factory uses down from the undercoat of cashmere goats living in China, Tibet and the Gobi Desert. Cashmere thread is very thin: 14.5 microns instead of the standard 16. For comparison, the thickness of a human hair is 50–70 microns. The quality of cashmere, which has become the hallmark of the brand, is under the personal control of the designer: for this purpose, Brunello Cucinelli visits goat habitats. This meticulous approach has earned the brand a reputation as one of the best knitwear manufacturers.
“Brunello Cucinelli clothes are 52% handmade,” Brunello told British GQ. “I wanted everything to be made in Italy from the best raw materials in the world.” I’m not talking about my taste – you may not like it, but the main thing is that my products are of the highest quality.”
To the knitwear, Cucinelli added coats and down vests for men, and the women’s line was replenished with models with sequins and feathers, which, despite the shine, turned out to be laconic and elegant. When creating clothes and accessories, the designer sticks to a palette of muted burgundy, grey, taupe and caramel shades, and timeless simple lines in his design.
Brunello Cucinelli has received awards and prizes many times. In 2003, at the annual American Best of the Best award, he received an award as “the best creator of modern knitwear,” and the University of Perugia awarded the businessman an honorary doctorate in ethics and philosophy for his business principles. By the way, during the pandemic, the designer did not fire any of his 2 thousand team members, and his company increased revenue by almost 60% in the first half of 2021.
