By Jesse Scott
“Revitalization” and “rejuvenation” have been buzzwords across the fashion landscape this season, with names such as Mathieu Blazy at Chanel, Jonathan Anderson at Dior, and Pierpaolo Piccoli at Balenciaga launching exciting new eras at legendary houses. Of these eras, none felt more distinctly modern, or clear in terms of vision, than Loewe’s. Americans Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez arrived in Paris barely a month ago to fill the shoes of Jonathan Anderson, and with the bold swagger that has become an archetype of their country, delivered a tour de force collection that was unapologetic, fiery, and just plain fun.
Oftentimes a creative director’s debut is best described as a feeling-out process in which the new designer tries (with mixed results) to balance the brand’s historic codes and recent history with their own unique sartorial identity. At other times, the new designer teases the seductive outline of an inspired vision but leaves us with the feeling that it will take several more seasons before it comes to full fruition. There was no such paradigm here (and indeed no time to test the waters in the current luxury fashion economy). McCollough and Hernandez did not build powerhouse Proenza Schouler from the ground up with tentativeness, and they burst out of the starting gate at Loewe with the ferocity of a prize stallion. This is a NEW Loewe, a CONTEMPORARY Loewe, for the unapologetic it-girl who always knows (and gets) what she wants. The intellect and quirkiness of Anderson’s collections was referenced but not emphasized, the proud Spanish heritage of the house was brought to the fore, and all was swathed in a vibrant, sporty, and yes, sexy swagger.
Glazed ceramics set the scene for McCollough and Hernandez's debut collection LOEWE Spring/Summer 2026 shown in Paris (Images courtesy of Loewe)
The 90s have been back with a vengeance in recent years, and this Loewe collection curated Baywatch sensuality for Sex and the City sophisticates. Leather finished to look like neoprene, a material best known for its use on scuba suits, dominated the collection. It opened the show with a dramatic flourish (a surprisingly structured black jacket paired with a neon yellow knit) and returned throughout to decisively proclaim that a new sporty sensibility has arrived at Loewe (Look 1). That said, the new Loewe girl is just as likely to be found lounging glamorously on a sun lounger as doing technical diving. Terry-textured sundresses, a black tee with oversized graphics, and playful pastel striped numbers are all resort-ready (Looks 10, 33, 53). McCollough and Hernandez launched the most iconic “seaside” bags of this entire fashion month, a wicker bag covered in dozens of lacquered clam shells and a surrealist-style blown glass look that could just as easily be a luminous conch shell. Meanwhile, a series of playfully colored rubber kitten heels, paired with interchangeable ankle shocks and somehow as sleek as they were practical, are poised to bring the energy of the boardwalk to city streets.
Loewe Spring/Summer 2026: Looks 1, 10, 33, 53 (Images courtesy of Loewe)
Bright color defined many collections this season, with varying results. No designers curated a better collection chromatically than McCollough and Hernandez, who proposed a technicolor kaleidoscope that was vibrant without being garish and sophisticated while still being joyful. In doing so, they recalled Loewe’s proud heritage, conversing with a modern Spanish influence that is intense, sensual, and optimistic. Yet they also opened dialogue with a retro Americana that we now so romanticize (think early 1990s neon). American abstract painter Ellsworth Kelly’s 1989 work Yellow Panel with Red Curve highlighted a runway upon which there were no misses.
Exuberant green and red jackets were paired with jet black knits (Looks 5, 13). Earth tones danced on a striped polo that seemed to defy the logic of draping due to its unique construction (Look 28). And textured bright orange pants introduced a surprisingly versatile sensibility of fringe and fun (Look 32). McCollough and Hernandez even incorporated the brand’s logo to electric effect: red font leaping off an ingeniously designed sky-blue bag with a preppy smirk (Look 48).
Loewe Spring/Summer 2026: Looks 5, 13, 28, 32, 48 (Images courtesy of Loewe)
Going into this season, as fashion critics predicted how brands would be affected by the seismic re-shuffling of creative directors, many argued that McCollough and Hernandez had the biggest shoes to fill. Yet as the pair took their inaugural bows for Loewe, thunderous applause bursting from the front row long before the final models had left the runway, one could not help but feel that they had designed the collection feeling no pressure at all. In the show notes, the designers pondered “how one can be released from the weight of history, while still respectful of it.” I do not know what the secret is, but McCollough and Hernandez have clearly found it. The show possessed an uninhibited and unapologetic effervescence, distilling an infectious joie de vivre that lit up the entire audience’s faces from Emily Ratajkowski to Parker Posey and reminded us that fashion, whether you are a designer or consumer, should be fun. Loewe Spring/Summer 2026 captured the unbearably exhilarating lightness of being that comes from long summer days of passion, sunshine, and beauty. It was achingly Spanish, achingly modern, and achingly needed in our industry.