The Who, What And Why Of Loewe's 592-Page Photograph Book
December is seeing the launch of plenty of collectible designer tomes. The latest to add to your book club? Loewe's phone book-sized photograph album.
By IMRAN JALAL,
What: Titled Past, Present, Future, this massive 592-page hardcover is the September issue - typically the biggest and most important issue of any magazine for the year - of fashion books. It's essentially a glorified photo album/Pinterest/mood board of images that has inspired or been produced by the Spanish maison over 170 years. In line with the hyper arty and modern image of the brand, the book comes with a minimalist white cover sans prints or photos, with just the name 'Loewe' on its front.
Who: The brand's creative director JW Anderson personally handpicked Luis Venegas to edit and curate the project. The latter is a Spanish fashion expert and publishing industry heavyweight (he's the brains behind "transversal" magazine Candy), and he had free rein choosing and sorting out hundreds images from the brand's archives, which are arranged in an ad-hoc manner to give the entire book a raw and unvarnished vibe.
Among the images found in the book is the Steven Meisel-lensed photograph that became the main image for Anderson's fall/winter '14 campaign and a back shot of a model from the brand's 1983 look book.
Why: For true fans of the brand, obtaining this book ($195) is just the latest addition to Loewe's continuing efforts to build up on its artistic integrity and sought-after collaborations. For the Gen X-meets-Tumblr generation, the images serve as a visual feast for simply edgy and cool fashion images. Oh, and did we mention that it makes a great Christmas gift for the designer and arty types?
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