Our World

Casa Loewe Barcelona

Lifestyle

On a trip to Barcelona with my husband this spring, I discovered the most beautifully designed retail space that grabbed my attention from across the busy street of Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona’s luxury shopping destination. With its chalky pink columns and colourful mosaics covering the storefront entrance, it completely drew me in. I looked up to find the façade of large, varied modernist ornaments decorated with florals, female figures, fruit and beautifully winged dragons.

Photo by Nicole Webster

Photo by Nicole Webster

Spanish luxury clothing and accessory brand Loewe (pronounced LO-WEH-VE) is most famous for the craftsmanship of their leather handbags. Their flagship store has been housed in the historic Casa Lléo i Morera, designed by the Catalan modernist, Lluís Domènech i Montaner since 1943. Founded in 1846, Loewe is one of the world’s leading global brands with an ongoing commitment to craft with a focus on unmatched expertise with leather goods still manufactured today in Barcelona and Getafe near Madrid. The brand is now owned by LVMH and is one of the oldest luxury fashion houses under the company. More recently, Loewe has been revived by designer Jonathan Anderson who took over the company’s reigns in 2013 as the creative director taking the brand to new heights with a modern interpretation of masculinity and femininity.

Photo by Nicole Webster

Anderson and their in-house design team have reimagined the iconic flagship space with the perfect balance of luxury, art, design and culture that seamlessly comes together to create an imaginative shopping experience. A wonderful surprise was uncovered once the demo began that revealed beautiful original high ceilings filled with intricate gold leaf details that have now been restored. These traditional details are contrasted with modern materials like the tiles that clad the columns by Ceramica Cumella, maple counters and concrete floors. A collection of one of my favourite chairs by architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, are upholstered in an array of playful colours while a selection of eight ceramics by Pablo Picasso are placed throughout the store. A large-scale installation of intertwining bamboo wraps around partitions and covers portions of the ceiling, creating a beautiful organic element by Japanese artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV. Paying homage to Catalan art, an exceptional macramé piece by Aurelia Muñoz stands strong in the lower level of menswear.

Photo by Nicole Webster

Photo by Nicole Webster

As I moved through the space, gathering more design inspiration within every detail that has been so thoughtfully considered, I completely fell in love with the brands’ essence that has been so beautifully captured in this interior. Every glance was something new to be discovered.

Photo by Nicole Webster

Photo by Nicole Webster