It’s no surprise that we love nature, and so does fashion house LOEWE and its creative director Jonathan Anderson. Under its sub-label Eye/LOEWE/Nature, the Spanish luxury brand’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection double-downs on the popular outdoor trend mixing technical design with cozy materials and craft details, while staying playful and pragmatic – a signature perspective and method Anderson is known for seen in the main LOEWE label as well as his namesake JW Anderson brand.

“The LOEWE man, in my vision, is an escapist just as much as he is practical: someone who loves adventures, of any kind, and has a fondness for the great outdoors,” said Anderson when describing the line in 2020. The new collection’s inspiration of being timelessly connected with nature is apparent, but when taking a closer look, it’s the careful construction and its upcycled approach to developing the line that catches our eye.

The brand describes the collection as “exploring the nature of craft with extreme upcycling.” Reusing, recycling, and repurposing materials is prioritized in order to create one-of-a-kind pieces while reducing waste. Key pieces are developed from reused materials and items with a past life, including jackets crafted from vintage Mexican carpets, quilts, and parachutes, as well as a new line of roll top backpacks and camera bags made from super lightweight recycled nylon. Vintage items are fused together to create hybrid styles such as tailored panel jackets made from old tweed, wool and nylon outerwear. Military fabrics are repurposed in order to transform the found materials into new garments like turning military tens into coats. Recycled yarns insulate down and also embellish renewed knitwear with unique embroidery.

“I love the idea of repurposing something that already had a life: it reminds me of the transformative power of creativity. Using existing sources also gives unicity to each piece, which is a very warm trait, akin to my proclivity for craft,” said Anderson about the sub-line in the past.

This is the fifth season of the Eye/LOEWE/Nature permanent menswear collection. The sub-label’s purpose is to provide an outdoor twist to LOEWE’s longstanding knowledge of craft, while focusing on sustainability through materials, manufacturing processes, and transparency of vendors all while staying.

The fashion house’s ongoing eco-friendly initiatives encompasses LVMH’s Life 360 commitments, which outline an environmental strategy that aims to preserve biodiversity and climate while engaging stakeholders. LOEWE launched The Surplus Project earlier this year where the brand rethinks the use of excess material from previous collections, such as repurposing two of its iconic, high-quality leathers into the Woven basket bag.

LOEWE also launched an annual collaboration in 2018 with the Knot On My Plant campaign, a partnership with fashion and luxury brands and the Elephant Crisis Fund. Proceeds of sales from a series of limited-edition mini Elephant bags, which feature handmade details by the Samburu women of Northern Kenya, are donated to help provide a more secure future for elephants. Similarly, the brand has donated €15 EUR from every Eye/LOEWE/Nature sale to environmental causes since 2019 (however, the exact amount to date and specific causes are not confirmed).

The Eye/LOEWE/Nature Fall/Winter 2021 is available now at loewe.com.

In other upcycling news, New Balance launched Renewed, an e-shop for repaired NB apparel.