Staged at the Maison de l’UNESCO, the FW19 Loewe show was part art exhibition. Presented in oval frames, Post-Restoration paintings from across Europe gave an indication of what was to follow. 

To summarise Jonathan Anderson’s resultant offering, think the regal aesthetic of a bygone era remixed with the sartorial spiritedness of a 20s flapper girl. A shirt fitted with a reimagined ruff collar was paired with a silver tinsel skirt, while a traditional olive-coloured cape was combined with a scarf-cum-feather boa. There was a jacket fit for a new-age commodore with exaggerated leather cuffs, and a layered black-and-white dress with broderie anglaise detailing was very ‘Lady Chatterley lost at sea’. And as is customary of a collection from Anderson, the knitwear pieces were of particular note: a jumper with a ruched hem came encrusted with pearls, while a more classical knit was laced through with ribbon. 

Accessories-wise, Elton John-style eyewear and obscure silk hats added an ostentatious touch to the collection. The designer also offered up a brand-new bag silhouette – the crocodile skin Lantern Opera bag made direct reference to the highly popular Straeter Lite-On silhouette of the 1950s. This was Anderson paying homage to European classicism with a sensuous twist.