Loewe, the Spanish fashion house known for pushing creative limits, did just that on Friday at Paris Fashion Week with an experimental Fall/Winter 2022 show. Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, Loewe’s creative director, is one of the leading forces behind today’s avant-garde movement, creating radical collections that could only be the brainchild of a creative genius.

Anderson’s visions have propelled Loewe to new, three-dimensional heights. The Fall/Winter 2022 collection builds upon the playfully structured looks from last winter’s collection, which have become a staple for the brand. This season’s collection is significantly less colorful than we are used to seeing from Anderson (fans of his solo endeavor, J.W. Anderson, know how often he relies on bright hues). But the more muted tones mean that our attention can be drawn elsewhere, like to the race cars masquerading as minidress hems or the stiletto heels growing out of a mesh draped gown (seriously). 

Beyond the most eye-catching 3-D details, Anderson plays with surrealist styles, creating a line that is as beautiful as it is chaotic. Molded leather minidresses, stuck to the left as if swayed by a breeze, stand out, as do iridescent shirts designed to look like reflections in water. Draped dresses with molded lips as breastplates also make a statement, alongside literal balloon bras and heels.  

Anderson uses a myriad of fabrics, from latex to resin to tweed, to create a cacophony of texture that can be felt through a screen. Some looks are literally made of felt, while others evoke touch by printed hands across torsos and backs and trompe l’oeil inspired outlines of the body. The effect: “Fashion that entices a reaction, stripped bare to a crude primitiveness with the thrill of kink” the brand said in a statement.  

Of the more traditional looks, Anderson builds upon his title as king of the cardigan with a billowing, robe-like iteration taking up space in the collection. Fur skirts with latex tops look surprisingly normal amidst the escapist looks littered throughout, and knit turtlenecks kept the collection consistent with what we have come to expect from Anderson. The line really hits its stride with outerwear, focusing on oversized tailoring for a structured yet beautifully messy look.  

Of course, the accessories make their own statements, with stilettos made complete by giant aluminum bows and shoes designed to look like handbags. As for the actual handbags, the Loewe puzzle bags are upgraded with tonal hardware, and most of the others are muted in color, while one is fully wrapped in shearling, yet another example of Anderson twisting reality and breaking the rules of fashion. 

Loewe called upon British artist Anthea Hamilton to set the tone for the show with giant sculptures of squashed pumpkins, which littered the brown-carpeted runway. The brand notes that the pumpkins are “objects ripe with surrealist potential and humor, but also replete with beauty.”

Hamilton’s 2010 banner, Aquarius, was a jumping off point for the show, as it portrays an idealized male form, akin to Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. Both works inspired the collection, which aims to recreate “the chaos of genesis.”