Thanks to the raging pandemic holding the world in its grasp, 2020 has been the year of hunkering down at home and getting heavily involved with Netflix. It was also the year Studio Ghibli’s magical back catalogue landed on the streaming platform – bringing with it some cosy, comforting respite from the chaos of early lockdown fave Tiger King and the sheer panic attack-inducing stressfest that was Uncut Gems.
Seems like Jonathan Anderson was also onboard when it came to revisiting Ghibli classics during self-isolation, since his latest collection for Spanish fashion house Loewe pays homage to 1998 cult classic My Neighbor Totoro. If you’re not familiar (honestly, where have you been?), the movie tells the story of sisters Satsuki and Mei and their encounters with the friendly and sometimes mischievous spirits that live in the forest near their home.
The offering is made up of ready-to-wear styles bearing cute Ghibli-inspired details, including cotton t-shirts and hoodies printed with Susuwatari (soot sprites), leather biker jackets meticulously painted with lush green forestscapes, and one stand-out knitted sweater which depicts Totoro himself. The capsule offering is rounded off with a selection of Loewe’s luxe leather accessories, with calfskin satchels, wallets, bucket bags, and its signature Puzzle style bearing more characters from the film. The character-stamped leather accessories used the brand’s own leather marquetry – also known as ‘intarsia’ – technique. Overall, it has a free-flowing, youthful feel true to both Loewe and Ghibli.
“There is a natural longing for heartwarming feelings right now,” Anderson explains in a statement. “When I think of a movie that affords me that kind of solace, speaking just as directly to a child as it does to an adult, that movie is My Neighbor Totoro.”
Speaking of the collection, Anderson says that it “celebrates the poetry and immediacy of these characters’ iconography – qualities have made My Neighbor Totoro a true cultural landmark”.
“The message is one of dreamy serenity and hands-on creativity – of being at one with nature and with one’s own inner child – which is especially important right now and, I think, always will be.”
Alongside the collection is a new campaign photographed by frequent Loewe collaborator Gray Sorrenti, which has been turned into a set of whimsical collage-style images. Check it out in the gallery above and mark January 8, 2021 on your calendars, given that’s the day you’ll be able to get your hands on your own Totoro pieces when the capsule line finally drops.
Enter the draw for the chance to win first access to the collection in store or on LOEWE.com 24 hours before the global launch on January 8
