The Tamesis
The history of Loewe’s best bags
Before delving into the history of Loewe handbags, we must first understand how this traditional Spanish brand came to have a very German name. (We know you know, but if you don’t, eboth difficult and w pronounced like a vLoewe is part of LVMH’s impressive roster of luxury brands, in fact, it’s the oldest of them all. The brand was founded in 1846 as a group of artisans making leather and suede products in a workshop on Madrid’s Lobo Street.
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Spain has a long history of leather making, dating back even to the Moorish work in southern Spain in the 8th century, when Cordovan horse leather was highly sought after and prized. But it wasn’t until an immigrant applied a bit of Germanic business pragmatism to a collective of Spanish artisans that the group became a brand. In 1872, Enrique Loewe Roessberg named the brand after his own name, which translates as “lion.” By 1905, Loewe had earned the privilege of becoming “the official supplier to the Spanish Crown.”
The brand remained a maker of luxury leather, and by mid-century Loewe bags could be seen on Ava Gardner when she visited Spain with her then-husband Frank Sinatra. In 1965, Loewe launched its first ready-to-wear collection, and five years later the brand hired Spanish artist Vicente Vela to design a logo – the famous four-scroll anagram LStill in use today. Along the way, Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Laura Biagiotti have all worked at the brand.
Loewe’s Madrid store past and present. Photo: Courtesy of Loewe
But the Loewe It bag—an icon on the arms of It girls and boys around the world—has a lot to do with LVMH, which acquired Loewe in 1996. Narciso Rodriguez, José Enrique Oña Selfa, Stuart Vevers, and Jonathan Anderson all take turns serving as the brand’s creative directors. Today, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez run the brand. Their debut in spring 2026 coincides with Loewe’s 180th anniversary this year. Taking the opportunity, they revisited one of the brand’s most iconic bags, the Amazona, and introduced a new double L brand identity to the category.
The look of all these accessories reflects this historic brand’s dedication to craftsmanship above all else. Sure, they can be shaped like elephants, but the quality of the leather is unmatched. Loewe bags are decidedly unfashionable and meant to be carried indefinitely, and below we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable ones.
In just about a year on the job, Anderson has added a major bag to Loewe’s collection that showcases the skills of the brand’s artisans. The Puzzle bag debuted at the Spring 2015 men’s show in Paris; at Anderson’s Loewe, there’s a tote for everyone. Like all Loewe bags, the Puzzle is handmade in Madrid from approximately nine pieces of leather precisely joined together. (The entire process is expected to take nine hours.) Available in calfskin, pebbled calfskin, and goatskin in regular, small, mini, and nano sizes, the bag didn’t take long to appear on all of the trendiest influencers and culture creators; you’re bound to find a piece of the puzzle when you head to a fashion show, gallery opening, or prestigious cocktail party.
