Loewe handbags

160 years ago a luxury-goods house in Madrid, Spain was created specializing in leather goods such as evening bags,wallets,luggage,and more. They became quite famous among European aristocracy and royalty. Their name was Loewe handbags . Ring a bell? Most Americans may not have heard of the brand but you might in the upcoming years as the company embarks on a major search to find lost pieces in order to create a company archive.

The company feels it is important to rediscover their past--first as a way to pay homage to the leather know-how that went into constructing a Loewe--but also as a way of maintaining the brand's identity and rediscovering their heritage. The process has not proved easy. Fleamarkets, Ebay and knocking on the doors of wealthy Europeans, who allowed the company into their homes to seek out pieces, are just a few of the tactics employed in this vintage hunt. Since the members of the European aristocracy handed down many of their peices from generation to generation, the company's idea to contact these people was invaluable. One of the oldest pieces, a jewelry box dating back to 1905 was discovered this way.

Since the company once used exotic skins such as ostrich, python and crocodile to make up their Loewe handbags, many of the pieces are in serious need of restoration. Once the handbags and other items are found, they make their way to the leather museum of Barcelona for identifying the hide. One of the oldest handbags discovered was made of elephant hide--of course, regulations put in place today would not allow for certain hides, such as elephant, to be used. Besides unearthing vintage pieces, they also unearthed vintage hide treatments. One purse that was discovered was created in python but looked and felt exactly like suede--a treatment that has completely disappeared.

What is the end result of all this hard work? For one thing, inspiration. For their fall/winter 2006 collection, the design house is remaking three bags from three different periods--a black evening pouch from 1910, a sausage-shaped bag from 1950 and a suitcase from 1975. With any luck, the past of Loewe will influence our handbag future.