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How Jonathan Anderson and Artist Takuro Kuwata Came Together for Loewe
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Japanese artist Takuro Kuwata is known for his innovative, contemporary approach to ceramics. With subtle nods to tradition and function, his experimental process yields artwork as conceptual as it is striking. In his signature approach, unstructured clay pieces are densely glazed, often in bold primary and metallic tones. The pottery is designed to literally burst once inside the kiln, leaving the work’s ultimate form to chance.
Jonathan Anderson, the renowned creative director of Spanish luxury house Loewe, knew that Kuwata was the ideal collaborator for his latest collection. The fashion star has culled his range of life experience—living between Ireland and Ibiza, studying at New York’s Julliard School and later, London’s College of Fashion—into a global aesthetic that emphasizes craft and artisanal touches. Anderson branched from his fashion beginnings at Prada to found his eponymous line, JW Anderson, and has helmed Loewe’s fashion-forward approach since his appointment in September of 2013.
For Fall/Winter 2020, the designer envisioned voluminous, organic silhouettes with Kuwata’s art pieces adorning Flamenco-inspired dresses, blouses, and handbags. Anderson placed the ceramics effects on everything from studded bodices to charms that appear unexpectedly—yet perfectly in sync with—fluid looks and the house’s hallmark accessories. The result is a collection that forgoes convention for a fusion métier all of its own. Here, the duo talks with CR about their creative processes, the true value of experimentation, and why fashion and art provide endless mutual inspiration.
As an abstract artist, why are you drawn to open expressions?
Takuro Kuwata: “Because it gives me a moving moment in the process of making itself to have a conversation with the materials. It’s a very difficult but simple conversation, I can forget about time and just concentrate on what’s in front of me. And the fact that I can communicate with society through this brings me great joy and happiness.”
Why does chance play a major part in your creative process?
TK: “I consider chance as an encounter. It comes when timing meets with what I have accumulated. Regardless of differences, such as birthplace or living environment, a little something in common creates unintended and unexpected encounters. It’s this process where unintended and unexpected pieces are born. Only by recognizing those chances and having an environment where I can reflect on my thoughts, can I create something good.”
What is most creatively compelling to you, Jonathan, about the artworks?
Jonathan Anderson: “I collect Takuro’s work. I am a big fan of Japanese craft and I have been for many years. What I really like is how they reduce everything to its essence.”
How did the ceramics influence the feel of the collection?
JA: “We were looking for new ways to work with craft and explore new silhouettes and textures. When you look at Takuro’s ready-to-wear pieces from a distance, they look as though they could be leather, but they’re porcelain.”
Why is experimentation an essential part of design?
TK: “Experimentation is a very important part of my creative process. I communicate with the material in the same way as I communicate with people, trying to find out what they like and dislike in order to have a better understanding of what and who I am facing.”
How does the concept of craft anchor the collection?
JA: “I concentrated on the idea of the atelier, the people making the clothes, as a way to bring the emotion and the human touch back into fashion.”
How can the future of fashion and art mutually inspire each other?
TK: “By understanding and respecting each other, I think that we both can find the value of the other, and through that understanding, something timeless will be born.”
JA: “Fashion cannot exist on its own anymore. It should reflect the moment we are living in. I think by now, we can look at art, fashion, architecture, and so on, and just appreciate creativity.”
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createdAt:Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:13:48 +0000
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