Over the past few years, Loewe’s collaboration with Studio Ghibli has seen the Spanish luxury brand turn to films Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro as inspirations. Now for its final collaboration, Jonathan Anderson is channelling the 2003 classic Howl’s Moving Castle.
Ending the collaboration with a full Studio Ghilbi experience, Loewe has taken over the Selfridges flagship store on Oxford Street to stage a multi-dimensional pop-up. Alongside an exclusive pre-launch of the Loewe collection in The Corner Shop and a takeover of the store's iconic windows, the pop-up features a Studio Ghibli exhibition in Selfridges’ Cloud Room, where visitors can get a better look at Ghibli sketches, behind-the-scenes images from the campaign, and step inside an immersive, cloud-filled installation. In addition to this, there will also be a number of screenings of the classic Ghibli movie.
The star of the show however is Dolly’s Cafe which has been transformed to bring the kitchen of Calcifer, Howl's resident fire-demon, to life. Offering afternoon tea and dishes inspired by the film, Loewe enlisted the French culinary studio Balbosté to curate Calcifer’s kitchen.
The Howl’s Moving Castle collection itself features pieces detailed with key scenes and moments from the film. “We pushed creativity with bold, intricately crafted pieces designed to bring the world of the film, literally, to life,” Anderson said, speaking on the collection. “Key pieces embody the beloved characters and backdrops, giving wearers the chance to identify with the film on a deep level and escape into its rich layers. It’s almost like handcrafted virtual reality in wearable form.” Alongside ready-to-wear looks and accessories, the collection offers everything from small leather goods to a new scented candle inspired by Calcifer.
Elsewhere, Juergen Teller photographed Dazed cover star and Jonathan Anderson’s latest muse Taylor Russell for the collection's campaign. Former Dazed 100er and model Rianne van Rompaey was also captured alongside models Oliver O'Sullivan and Hyunji Shin.
The Selfridges pop-up is open until February 25, more information and booking for Calcifer’s Kitchen is available here. Click here to find the selected stores selling the collection.