eyes, tongues, flowers + knots emerge from punctured pots in 'LOEWE weaves' collection

luxury fashion house LOEWE has teamed up with sotheby’s to introduce the ‘LOEWE weaves’ project: a collection of unique, artisan crafted objects, including galician chestnut roasting pots decorated by various artists, bags, baskets and accessories in woven leather. in a quest to reinforce the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship, the newly launched series explores the technique of weaving, and highlights both its structural and decorative function.

all images courtesy of LOEWE

the main protagonist of the ‘LOEWE weaves’ collection is the galician chestnut roasting pot, a handmade terracotta container punctured with several holes. the holes are functional, but the form they create serves as a great starting point for experimenting with different weaving techniques. as for accessories, ‘LOEWE weaves’ has combined the art of weaving with leather and raffia processing, in order to present a wide range of accessories embellished with handcrafted details: bags, bracelets, but also vases with weaves and knots.

according to LOEWE’s creative director, jonathan anderson, the aim of this project is to push the art of manufacturing to the extreme, exploring new ways to give life to artisan products and transform traditional techniques into something unforeseen. meanwhile, playfulness is fundamental in the process, establishing a creative dialogue that embraces the different materials and forms.

in addition to the pieces mentioned, LOEWE has also distributed 84 chestnut roasters to spanish artisans idoia cuesta and belén martinez, as well as to the artisans of the brand’s ateliers, encouraging them to experiment and reinterpret them. the holes served as weft for weaving with strips of fabric, bows, cords, leather, wool threads, feathers, and straw, while the surface of the pots was not modified in any way. with many of the materials used in the endeavor coming from surpluses of old LOEWE collections, the project illustrates that ‘authentic craft is sustainable’ as anderson mentions.

sotheby’s auction house will exhibit a selection of seven vases adorned with experimental weaving techniques by artists arko (japan), min chen (china) and laia arqueros (spain). the vases, handcrafted by master potter antonio pereira and transformed by the three artists, will be exhibited alongside the pieces from sotheby’s ‘impressionist, modern and contemporary art’ marquee auctions in new york. the exhibition will be available from may 1 till may 12, 2021.