Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez’ debut for the Spanish heritage house Loewe

To follow Jonathan Anderson at Loewe was a thankless job for Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez as he clearly has been the industry’s brightest talent who had transformed the Spanish house into a big fashion player during his eleven year tenure. It is well known that Jack and Lazaro’s ambitions to make their mark in Paris by going as far as showing here a few seasons have always been on top of their agenda and when other Americans (Alexander, Gabriela) got big French house jobs, they were not too happy. Their Loewe appointment seemed one of the most well deserved as they always had an arts and crafts touch, and it made their journey as designers come good. So their colorful show featuring lots of sculpted leatherjackets and multi patchwork dresses was a very solid start. Even better their Talia Chetrit campaign of fresh faced portraits which is all over Parisian bus shelters added their typical “best in casting” playbook we know from them.

The big tent they pitched up near a park on the outskirts of Paris showed that they are determined to play in the big budget LVMH designer league now using the ateliers for hand painted dresses. But this show was not so much about craft touches or conceptual ideas but a solid rendering of American sportswear which is what the duo has always excelled in from their very first shows on the Westside Piers of Manhattan. The sculpted leather opening looked like a wetsuit top and pointed to the active part of the day, just like double visor caps and the mini dresses which looked like a simple beach towel covering the body.

What felt right?

Using their American instincts for basics like a pant worn with only a sweater swung over the shoulders or Mica Argañaraz in a red polo under a yellow V-neck sweater with black patent leather shorts was spot on.

Mica Argañaraz sporting one of our favorite looks

What was missing?

The show lacked the one idea or new vibe that would have helped to immediately step out of Anderson’s shadow. Placing a big Ellsworth Kelly at the entrance showing the typical large scale geometric color blocks in yellow and red to evoke the Spanish flag and Loewe’s heritage seemed a bit thin.