A major highlight of Loewe Crafted World Tokyo is the exhibit titled “Castle Room,” which is inspired by the fashion house’s 2023 collaboration with Studio Ghibli.
Japan has always been the go-to place for travelers looking to unleash their creative juices. Inspiration is found everywhere—from Tokyo’s modern skyscrapers starkly juxtaposed with traditional temples to Kyoto’s historic shrines that offer a serene environment, as well as the bright and quirky 3D signs in Osaka’s busy streets.
Japan‘s creative culture always has something new to offer every tourist, with every visit. The newest addition to its vast range of creativity boosters is the Loewe Craft World exhibition in the buzzing and colorful district of Harajuku in Tokyo.
Located just across Harajuku Station, Loewe Crafted World Tokyo is an immersive and expansive art space offering guests an experience “steeped in art, culture, and Loewe’s idiosyncratic sense of play,” according to the Spanish fashion house.
It takes art aficionados and fashion junkies on a trip down Loewe’s 179-year history, from its founding as a leather goods workshop in 1846 in Madrid to becoming one of the most notable names in high fashion. For fans of Loewe, Crafted World is one of the last chances you’ll get to witness the brilliance of former creative director Jonathan Anderson, who transformed the brand since assuming the role in 2013 to leaving it earlier this year.
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Initially, Loewe Crafted World began as a traveling exhibition in Shanghai last year. It ran from March to May across 1,600 square meters at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Now through May 11, everyone flying to Japan can take the same enchanting journey through the luxury brand’s evolution, with its vast collection of artifacts, runway footage, and inspiration for its collections, including those of crowd-favorite Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli.
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“The exhibition transports the audience from the sights and sounds of Spain, to the front row of the Paris runway, and in a series of interactive rooms, inside the visionary imagination that has inspired Loewe’s recent collections—including those of Studio Ghibli and the Kyoto-based ceramics studio Suna Fujita,” Loewe said in a release.
Loewe Crafted World Tokyo offers an expansive 1,300-square-meter journey through the past, present, and future of the Spanish label in several thematic chapters. First stop is “Born from the Hand,” which presents the brand’s Spanish origins in works by art icons Pablo Picasso and Pedro Almodóvar. They are displayed alongside some of Anderson’s most famous looks and runway hits, including Rihanna’s red boiler suit that was worn by the star for her 2023 Super Bowl halftime performance and Beyonce’s gold bodysuit for her Renaissance tour. Next is “Welcome to Spain,” which shows glorious art in Spanish traditions, from Galician terracotta-tiled homes to Ibiza-inspired marine designs.
A definite stand-out and a must-see for Studio Ghibli fans is the “Castle Room,” which pays homage to Loewe’s collaboration with the popular studio in 2023. The collection was inspired by one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most popular animated masterpiece, Howl’s Moving Castle. For this exhibit, Loewe brought the film to life in a clever patchwork of shapes and details stitched together like fantasy architecture. A two-meter-tall version of the Loewe 2023 Ghibli capsule anchors the dreamy and surreal art space.
From Studio Ghibli, guests can further immerse themselves in Loewe’s connections to Japanese craftmanship, with its documentary that presents the foundation’s support for the Kyoto-based Onishi family. These artisans are renowned for their craftsmanship of Kama iron kettles traditionally used for tea ceremonies for over 400 years. What’s more, Loewe Crafted World’s “Salone del Mobile” features works by Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalists, such as Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, Moe Watanabe, and 2019 winner Genta Isjizuka.
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Another notable highlight is “Fashion Without Limits,” which is a vivid depiction of how Anderson revolutionized Loewe during his 11-year tenure with the brand. On display are 54 runway looks presented alongside contemporary artworks that reflect the concept of each collection. Textile mobiles and sculptural ceramics fill one corner, while video projections bring the runway to life in another.
The last stop is “Unexpected Dialogues,” which will take you to the worlds that inspired some of the brand’s artistic partnerships. Here, expect to be treated to a visual feast with the recreation of Ken Price’s pottery studio, the playful ceramic scenes and sugar-coated walls by Suna Fujita, and the floating flower garden by Edenworks studio.
Entrance to the Loewe Crafted World in Harajuku, Tokyo is free for all, but visitors must book a reservation on the Line app or the exhibit’s website prior to their visit. Loewe Crafted World Tokyo is located at 6-35 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo and is open daily, from 9 am to 8 pm, until May 11.
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