Loewe × On Adds Art to Function
Loewe × On collaboration blending sport, fashion, and art.
On October 15, Loewe and On unveiled their FW26 collaboration collection. Made up of footwear and performance apparel, the collection combines the technical elements of the outdoors with Loewe's design aesthetic. By casting three contemporary artists in the campaign instead of runners, the brands signaled the direction of the collaboration.
Hiking Codes in Urban Silhouettes
The collection's footwear translates the functional elements of hiking and running into new silhouettes. The Cloudsolo Hiker applies a lug outsole, marbled rubber details, and cord laces, reinterpreting the construction of a hiking shoe through urban design. The Cloudtilt Cosmic builds on a lightweight construction and voluminous form to expand an existing signature silhouette.
The Cloudsolo Hiker sneaker is priced at around $890, and the Cloudtilt Cosmic sneaker at around $790. The pricing reflects a collaboration that emphasizes design and brand identity as well as functional performance.
Expanding into Performance Apparel
The apparel includes hoodies, down jackets, and cargo pants. Some pieces feature color prints depicting Swiss Alpine landscapes, reworking outdoor design into Loewe's visual language through functional volume and color contrast.
Products are available across a range of price points, including a puffer jacket at around $2,200, a quilted poncho at around $1,650, and a hoodie at around $990. By rolling out footwear and apparel together, the collaboration proposes styling at the collection level, beyond individual products.
A Campaign That Puts Artists Ahead of Runners
Shot by photographer Rosie Marks, the campaign features Joan Jonas, Martine Syms, and Tarek Atoui. Through artists with different creative practices, from Jonas, who explores nature and movement, to Syms, who collects urban visual culture, and Atoui, who experiments with sound and the senses, it extends the collection into the context of artistic exploration.
What stands out is its focus on the artists' creative activity and movement rather than athletic performance. It's an approach that proposes performance footwear not as athletic equipment alone, but as products for people who explore a variety of environments.
EDITORIAL SMALL TALK
Loewe and On don't limit performance footwear to the purpose of exercise. They cast artists who explore different environments and senses in the campaign, and connect shoes and apparel through a single design language. Their approach of proposing performance products at the intersection of art and everyday life can be seen as another way of broadening the boundaries between sport and fashion.
