Loewe’s first North American store is befitting of its Irish designer-cum-creative-director Jonathan Anderson—classic with a contemporary edge. The boutique, large and luminous, is also supremely nostalgic, as one can instantly tell from the massive 18th-century granary at the center of the space. The hórreo, as it’s called in Spanish, was retrieved from a town bordering northern Spain (Galicia) and Portugal and brought to the boutique as a symbol of Loewe’s cultural fluidity: Past and present, Europe and North America, existing harmoniously in the upscale Miami Design District.
Admirers of the 169-year-old label will think it normal to find a stone barn from the Middle Ages (which had to taken apart and rebuilt for the space) inside a thoroughly modern structure; think museum lighting, smoke-colored walls, stone flooring and vast windows. In part, it follows the brand’s architectural tradition from the 1950s and ‘60s when radical architect Javier Carvajal designed the brand’s flagship stores and Barcelona headquarters. The bold structure is also reflective of Anderson, whose appointment as the Madrid-based brand’s creative director marked a new direction for Loewe—which evolved from luxury leather retailer to “official supplier to the Spanish Royal Crown” to haute Spanish commodity with a decidedly fresh look. “It’s part of the knowledge of where Loewe is from, transferred to another time and place,” said Anderson. What was once a functional storehouse for grains is now the backdrop for the latest collections, including the iconic Amazona bag (in updated materials) and the Puzzle, Anderson’s completely new contribution to the brand’s repertoire and already a best-seller.
Loewe, 110 N.E. 39th St. For more information call 305-576-7601.
