Hell for Leather

Spanish leather company Loewe is celebrating its craft in style with a new book, The Masters of Leather, illustrated by art director and illustrator Robert Clarke.

this is a Loewe
this is a Loewe

Clarke’s beautiful  illustrations will also feature in the window displays of Loewe outlets, and he has created an installation telling the Loewe story across 13 windows of the Tokyo-based department store Isetan.

a graph a minute
a graph a minute

The project saw Clarke researching the Loewe craftsmanship by taking in the history of the brand in its native Mardid. The intrepid illustrator visited Loewe artisans and ateliers, before moving on to Barcelona to see the leather being treated in the tannery.

Hola!
Hola!

‘The splendid and regal city of Madrid and the genuine warmth of the Loewe company made me feel so welcome,’ says Clarke. ‘Seeing the quality of the work at Loewe was such an eye-opener.’  

pile up
pile up

Reflsting the skill that goes in to creating the products, all the words and illustrations in the book are created by hand. Carefully documenting his travels and research, the faces in the book are those of the craftsmen he met along the way, and the colours are those typical of Loewe goods.

that's handy!
that’s handy!

Clarke says, ‘Their colour and style is so quintessentially Spanish that the book was inspired by Miro, Picasso and the colours of Spain, and there’s a hint of  Tapies in there too for good measure.’

they call him mellow yellow
they call him mellow yellow

The Masters of Leather is available from mid-September from all Loewe stores.  For more info, visit: www.loewe.com

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