We recently covered the history of the British Royal Warrant in our feature article, ‘How to Dress Like a King‘, where we discussed the menswear brands that hold this coveted Royal seal of approval.
But of course, Britain is not the only country with a monarchy, and in turn, our monarchy of course is not the only one to issue official warrants to luxury goods houses. Next then, we take you over the English channel to Spain.
LOEWE: BY APPOINTMENT TO THE KING AND QUEEN AND SPAIN.
Spanish brand ‘Loewe‘, pronounced “low-ay-ve”, has a founding date of 1846, marking it out as one of the oldest purveyors of luxury leather goods in the world.
Madrid based Loewe, like all European luxury goods houses, has a complex and fascinating past – stretching back to the Borbón dynasty of Europe, surviving right through the darkest of hours of fascist Spain and through to present day, eventually being bought by the LVMH group (Louis Vuitton) of France. We could go on, and indeed, if you are a man who likes to know the history and pedigree of the brand he is about to buy into, Loewe’s is up their with the best and most interesting of them, even though you may have never heard of this brand if you are from Britain, Northern Europe or America. For those of you who have traveled to Dubai, you will however, have undoubtedly seen its stores in the Middle Eastern’s mecca of all things luxury. In some ways, the brand is Spain’s ‘best kept secret’.
Loewe - Men's satchel.
Loewe - Tan messenger bag for men with the firm's iconic logo.
In terms of quality and craftsmanship, we probably don’t need to tell you that Spain, originators of the Córdoba leather tanning tenique (A.K.A. Cordovan in English speaking countries) has a fine reputation for producing some of the most luxurious and supple leathers in the world. So ingrained in Spanish craftsmanship is leatherwork, that there are records dating back to the 8th century with the crowned heads of Europe demanding Spanish Cordovan leathers be shipped to them, whatever the cost or time period. Loewe, founded by Enrique Loewe Roessber, draws on this expertise and rich Spanish heritage of leatherwork. And in the 1890s, the local aristocracy come flooding to his small back street store in Madrid as his name and reputation grows, where everything is entirely bespoke to the customer’s demands.
In 1905, almost 60 years after its formation, Loewe is finally granted an official warrant, “Supplier to the Royal Court” by the newly married King and Queen of Spain, Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia. Now, Spanish royalty or not, it is your turn to experience this brand.
The products are of course, all still made in Spain, by expert craftsmen, many who have been with the company their whole lives.
Long live Loewe!
Loewe - Logo on men's leather bag. The brand name stands proud with Spain's Royal seal of approval.
