Loewe Opens Casa Loewe in Tokyo

Ardent fans of renowned Spanish leather and luxury goods purveyor Loewe in Japan recently welcomed the arrival of Casa Loewe, a new store concept. Located at the hip and lavish Omotesando — one of Tokyo’s prominent luxury shopping jaunts — Casa Loewe showcases the brand’s ongoing legacy in art and design.

Ensconced within a prominent corner of One Omotesando building, a masterpiece by renowned Japanese architect Kerngo Kuma, the Casa Loewe derived its inspiration from Javier Carvajal, the visionary Spanish architect who helped shape Loewe’s modern identity back in the 20^th century. An indisputable form of art in its own right, the Casa Loewe juxtaposes various materials with the application of complex yet open layout.

Outside the store, the emerald canopy that Carvajal designed for the iconic Serrano store in Madrid circa 1959 has been reinterpreted as horizontal slab of agate that juts out into the street and extends back into the store in one, luminous overhead gesture. The vast glass façade, on the other hand, is braced by a striking T-cross formed by the suspended green ceiling and its bronze frame that sliced through a towering volume of black marble imported from Spain.

To bring out the unique character of Casa Loewe, a carefully modulated lighting concept is employed. Three oversized mid-century Murano glass lamps are strategically suspended in a second floor recess, emitting warm, localised glow that is visible from the street as night falls. 

Moreover, it also lends an effect reminiscent of a sensuously lit private residence. Spanning three floors, the store epitomises the varied facets of Loewe’s universe, while subsequently underscoring the long-standing commitment to excellence, innovation and craft that has long been part of Loewe’s DNA

Venture inside and customers will find a slew of vibrant accents such as a ‘floating’ stone stair and double-height curtains in structured linen that offsets the Japanese limestone walls. 

The ceiling is doused in ‘Philadelphia Cheesecake” hue while a sense of cultural awareness permeates the space, characterising Loewe in its entirety under the new creative direction by Jonathan Anderson. 

Store furnishing includes large, especially-designed display tables in wood with raffia detailing, as well as carefully sourced English antiques from the Arts and Crafts period such as pieces that were originally created for Liberty’s department store in London and chairs designed by the pioneering artist, designer and writer William Morris.

Together with Anderson’s latest collection for the Spanish fashion house, the ceramic crafts made by the Hamada family are displayed against the sharp lines and rich texture of the store. In a whole, the new store concept conceived an integrated environment through the amalgamation of design elements that are smart yet beautifully surprising.   

To commemorate the opening of Casa Loewe in Japan, Loewe has invited leading ceramist Tomoo Hamada to create two exclusive pieces that are inspired by Loewe’s formal vocabulary.

Entitled ‘Tie’ and ‘Cube’, the artwork serves as the centrepiece of an in-store exhibition of 11 works by three generations of revered Japanese master craftsmen: Tomoo, his father Shinsaku and his grandfather Shoji Hamada, a highly regarded figure within the Japanese studio pottery scene who had once collaborated with inspiring British potter Bernard Leach in the 1920s. 

Exhibition aside, customers  who are keen to bring home ‘Tie’ and ‘Cube’ are able to do so as the a limited edition version of the artwork is available on sale at Casa Loewe.

Thus, if you are in Tokyo or planning for a trip to the fashionable metropolis, do not forget to drop by Casa Loewe for some Loewe lovin’.

*Photos courtesy of Loewe

Loewe - One Omotesando, 3-5-29 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 107-0061