Loewe brings back its much lauded collaboration with the iconic ’70s shop, Paula’s Ibiza. The result? A collection brimming with positivity, bright colours and the promise of summer lovin’.
Let’s go back to 1972, a time of free love, boho-chic style and when a man called Armin Heinemann came to Ibiza to escape the burden of a messy divorce in Germany. In this sexy, hedonistic island in the Mediterranean, he founded a boutique called Paula’s Ibiza, which became a haven for bohemian artists, jet-setters and the fashion cognoscenti.
Paula’s cult status grew and grew—not only for its eclectic fashion choices, but also for the people who came to shop and simply hang out. A concept store before the term was even coined, Heinemann had regular high-profile customers including creative spirits like Freddie Mercury, Valentino Garavani and Donna Summer visiting his cult destination to shop for stylish, cool finds for their summer sojourns.
This epitome of 1970s bohemian glamour served as inspiration for Loewe’s Creative Director, Jonathan Anderson for his debut collaboration with Paula’s last year. Anderson first got to know about the boutique as a child, where trips to the Balearic Island immersed him in the spirit of the store. This year, the successful collaboration is back with revisited archival prints amped up in brilliant shades of turquoise, bold polka dots and hypnotic stripes. Mermaids meet circus performers, while hummingbirds circle around beach flags and swirls of colour. Vivid, multi-coloured combinations and prints clash on a single garment. Tiered sundresses, caftans, peasant blouses and patchwork denim meet fringed shorts, cotton pyjamas separates, and terry towel ponchos and hoodies. Metallic sequins and wooden bead embellishments elevate humble textiles with cool elements of craft. Accessories reign supreme with bucket hats, beach towels, pareos and silk scarves that let you mix and match and elevate the art of layering to new, dizzying heights.
As with all Loewe collaborations, Anderson didn’t stop at fashion. He commissioned French graphic design duo M/M Paris to print a limited run of 1,200 hand-numbered copies of a hardcover photo book shot by Gray Sorrenti (daughter of famed photographer, Mario Sorrenti) in New Orleans, U.S.A, showcasing a group of free-spirited youths wearing the fashion how they saw fit in America’s Deep South. Americana meets Spanish craftsmanship meets English wit meets bohemian rhapsody. Isn’t fashion’s sartorial salad simply divine?
