Images courtesy of Loewe
Since creative director Jonathan Anderson joined Loewe in 2013, the renowned luxury brand has churned out one instant classic after another. There is no overstating the cultural impact that Loewe’s It bags—iconic handbags beloved by influencers and culture-makers everywhere—have had on the fashion industry’s collective conscience. Yet even before Anderson gifted us with the Puzzle bag, Gate bag, and Basket bag, there was already a celebrated handbag present in Loewe’s oeuvre.
Enter: the Amazona bag. First unveiled in 1975, the Amazona’s debut coincided with a historic cultural shift. Second-wave feminism heralded a new age, one where women increasingly found a foothold in the workplace. Sensing this revolution, Loewe set out to design a bag for the modern woman.
The Amazona would be an homage to the burgeoning female workforce, whose independent and entrepreneuring spirit inspired many of the bag’s iconic facets. The elegantly understated rectangular frame broadcasted a minimalist aesthetic, embodying the practical mindset of the working woman.
Its hooped handle and capacity to hold everything needed over the course of a working day gave it a versatility that made it an instant classic for everyday wear. Of course, being from Loewe, the handbag wasn’t just all business; the brand’s attention to craftsmanship afforded the Amazona with an elevated look that lent the woman of the 1970s a chic edge.
The Amazona would be an homage to the burgeoning female workforce, whose independent and entrepreneuring spirit inspired many of the bag’s iconic facets.
The return of such a storied bag is emblematic of today’s own sense of female empowerment.
Unveiling the Amazona’s grand return in its Fall Winter 2021 runway collection, Loewe updates the classic bag with the modern-day woman in mind. Its modernized features places it squarely among its Loewe contemporaries.
Large, zipped compartments accomodate today’s electronics. Crafted in supple nappa calfskin, six new shades from Avocado Green to Mink are designed to compliment contemporary wardrobes.
Also debuted was a new style, the Anagram Jacquard Amazona, which sees the house’s emblem of four interlocking L’s woven into a new blended, cotton fabric. Presented in two color-ways—Navy against Black calfskin trim and Green with Avocado calfskin trim—the fabric is treated to be water-repellant and resistant to stains, a feature that the 21st-century woman will appreciate.
Most recently, Loewe’s new Holiday Collection—which features the seminal prints of architect and designer Charles Francis Annesley Voysley—introduced a new size. The Amazona 23 joins the Amazona 19 Square and Amazona 28 as a perfect in-between.
Since it first appeared in 1975, the Amazona has always embodied the modern female spirit. The return of such a storied bag is emblematic of today’s own sense of female empowerment as women continue to experience the highs and lows of a post #MeToo world.
Shop the Amazona bag along with seasonal ready-to-wear, bags, and small leather goods for men and women at Loewe’s first Ala Moana store. Located on mall level 2 in the Diamond Head Wing.
