Following no less than eight shop-in-shops at leading department stores across Seoul, the time was right for Spanish luxury brand LOEWE to open a standalone flagship store in the city’s upscale Gangnam shopping district. The newly opened Casa LOEWE occupies modern building on bustling Apgujeong-ro and rubs shoulder with boutiques from leading brands in fashion’s upper echelon, such as Loro Piana, Prada, Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana, Moncler and Gucci. The existing building has been entirely redeveloped by LOEWE‘s creativ director Jonathan Anderson and in-house design team in Madrid and now features an understated façade clad in glazed green tiles handmade in Spain. Inside, across the 433 sqm. (4,661 sq.ft.) premises, the tiles recur in additional shades of blue, brown, and green, paired with cool expanses of concrete and the warmth of oak, brass, and marble.

Additionally, an abundant use of glass brings an floods of natural light into the store. Similar to the brand’s other retail spaces, Casa LOEWE is dotted with a curated range of design furnishings, including Berin club chairs upholstered in custom felt, angular Utrecht and Steltman chairs designed by Gerrit Rietveld, George Nakashima’s American black walnut and canvas Conoid Cushion chairs, and last but not least, artisanal wool carpets which reproduce tapestries by London-based textile artist John Allen. Needless to say, given LOEWE‘s strong affiliation with arts and artisanal crafts, in addition to the brand’s LOEWE Foundation and its annual prize, the premises are also strewn with striking artworks which further elevate the shopping experience.

The works include Japanese artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV’s multi-level bamboo sculpture which symbolises the dynamic interaction between fashion and art. Two tree trunk-style cylinders in the central atrium on the ground floor represent the aforementioned creative realms and grow up into the first floor where they intertwine. Two LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize winners are present as well—Japanese ceramicist Eriko Inazaki’s winning ceramic sculpture Metanoia and South Korean artist and weaver Dahye Jeong’s winning horsehair vessels A Time for Sincerity are united, despite their disparate forms, exploring intricacy and innovation alongside traditional techniques. Casa LOEWE carries the brand’s women’s and men’s apparel, accessories, small leather goods, shoes, bags, jewellery and fragrances. © superfuture.com