Luxury fashion house Loewe has opened its flagship Dubai store – the second and largest in the city – with a retail experience similar to that of a boutique gallery space.
Located in The Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue, the new store offers an intimate environment where the latest womenswear collection is interspersed with pieces of art, craft and design – all curated by the brand’s creative director Jonathan Anderson. From painting and sculpture to furniture and crafted objects, the collection offers a selection of pieces that one might find in an art collector’s home.
High quality materials Campaspero limestone and stucco marmorino can be found on the walls, floors and in structural furniture. In keeping with the sleek environment of the mall, the new store has a concrete-effect façade witha large glass welcome and a wall of ceramics. Contemporary furniture inhabits the space, with Utrecht recliners by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, Tekio Vertical lamps designed by Anthony Dickens from Santa & Cole joining natural jute rugs by Nanimarquina.
Art plays a vital role in Loewe’s retail concept, and The Dubai Mall flagship store is no different. Many of the artists on show within the store have a long-standing relationship with the brand. They include Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2019 finalist, Japanese weaver and sculptor Kazuhito Takadoi, whose work is characterised by intricate forms sculpted from delicate natural materials. Takadoi’s work is shown alongside artist Hylton Nel’s work Things With Eyes — a set of 10 enamelled ceramic plates.
To herald the opening, a Loewe Flamenco clutch bag adorned with ceramics by Takuro Kuwata is available to purchase at the store. Takuro Kuwata is a Japanese ceramicist who collaborated with Anderson on the FW20 collection. His work is known for its formal instability, an ambivalent relationship with tradition and a distinctive use of colour. He was awarded a special mention at the 2018 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in London.
The new 216 square metre LOEWE will showcase the full range of women’s ready-to-wear, bags, small leather goods, soft accessories, eyewear, jewellery and shoes.
The original Loewe store has been converted into a dedicated menswear shop, making it the first Loewe menswear store in the region.
