Kara Walker, the New York–based artist known for her large-scale explorations of American history and race, has appeared in Loewe’s 180th anniversary campaign, shot by photographer Talia Chetrit.
Walker joins a cast that includes actresses Sissy Spacek, Julia Garner (who is also a global brand ambassador for Loewe), Kara Wai, and Salma Abu Deif, along with K-pop star Giselle from the group aespa. The campaign, which marks the anniversary of the Spanish house’s founding in 1846, features each subject alongside iconic Loewe bags across the decades: the Flamenco clutch (1980s), the Puzzle (2015), and the new Amazona 180.
A capsule collection, which arrived in stores and on Loewe’s website on June 3rd, includes bags, small leather goods, and ready-to-wear clothing featuring lion motifs—a nod to “Loewe,” the German word for lion. An animated film narrated by Antonio Banderas accompanies the campaign, tracing key moments in the house’s history.
Walker rose to prominence in the mid-1990s with her cut-paper silhouettes. Her large-scale works include A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby (2014) at the Domino Sugar Refinery in Brooklyn and Fons Americanus, the 2019 Hyundai Commission at Tate Modern in London. She received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1997 and is represented by Sikkema Malloy Jenkins and Sprüth Magers.
A special publication, 180 Years of Craft, will be released as a supplement to Loewe Magazine Issue 11, available free in Loewe stores and partner bookstores from June 15th.
