A History of the Best Loewe Bags
Before one dives into the history of Loewe handbags, one must first understand how the Spanish heritage brand wound up with a very German name. (We know you know, but in case you don’t, the e’s are both hard and the w is pronounced like a v.) A member of LVMH’s impressive roster of luxury brands, Loewe is, in fact, the oldest of them all. Founded in 1846, the label began as a collective of artisans crafting leather and suede goods in a workshop on Madrid’s Lobo Street.
The Loewe Handbags to Shop Now
Spain has a long history of leather-making, dating past even the work of the Moors in southern Spain in the 8th century when Cordovan horse leather was highly sought and prized. But it was only after an immigrant applied a bit of Germanic business pragmatism to the Spanish artisan collective that the group became a brand. The year was 1872 when Enrique Loewe Roessberg gave his name (which translates to “lion”) to the label. By 1905, Loewe had earned the privilege of being an “official supplier to the Spanish Royal Crown.”
The brand maintained its status as a luxury leather maker, and by the middle of the century, Loewe bags could be seen on the likes of Ava Gardner during a visit to Spain with her then-husband Frank Sinatra. In 1965, Loewe introduced its first ready-to-wear collection, and five years later, the brand enlisted Spanish artist Vicente Vela to develop a logo—the famed anagram of four scrolling L’s still in use today. Along the way, Karl Lagerfeld spent time at the label, as did Giorgio Armani and Laura Biagiotti.
Loewe’s Madrid storefront, then and now. Photo: Courtesy of Loewe
But Loewe It bags—fixtures on the arms of It girls and boys the world over—have had much do with LVMH, which acquired Loewe in 1996. Narciso Rodriguez, José Enrique Oña Selfa, Stuart Vevers, Jonathan Anderson, all took turns as the brand’s creative directors. Today, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez helm the brand; their spring 2026 debut coincided with Loewe’s 180th anniversary this year. For the occasion, they revisited one of the brand’s most iconic bags—the Amazona—and introduced a new double-L branding across the category.
The look of all these accessories upholds the historic brand’s dedication to craft above all else. Sure, they can come shaped like an elephant, but the quality of the leather is unmatched. Determinedly untrendy, Loewe handbags are meant to be carried indefinitely, and below, we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable.
A Puzzle bag, on the fall/winter 2022 runway.
Just about a year into his appointment, Anderson added a significant handbag to the Loewe repertoire, one that gave the skills of the label’s craftspeople an especially fine showcase. Enter the Puzzle bag, which was first seen at the men’s spring 2015 show in Paris; at Anderson’s Loewe, handbags are for everyone. Like all Loewe bags, the Puzzle is handcrafted in Madrid, with approximately nine pieces of leather precisely patchworked together. (The process takes an estimated nine hours.) Available in calfskin, pebbled calfskin, and goatskin in regular, small, mini, and nano sizes, the bag didn’t take long before turning up on all the chicest influencers and culture-makers; head to a fashion show, gallery opening, or in-the-know cocktail party, and you’re bound to spot a piece of the Puzzle.
