The forest setting and acres of leather in Loewe’s latest collection might have carried with it an autumnal feel if it weren’t for how light all of it really was. Working the leather into 0.4-millimeter-thin sheets made it as light as cotton, and, thus, Loewe manages to create a breezy, mostly-leather collection for Spring/Summer 2013. Lacy leaf prints and flower appliques cascade down the tidy fronts of the earliest looks, signaling the organic feel of this collection. However, designer Stuart Vevers didn’t settle for this steady pace. Instead, he changes the tone quickly, urging an inherently sexy and attention-grabbing collection down the Loewe runway. Suddenly, the earthy sprite of the start of the show becomes a Spanish seductress done up in hooded red suede dresses, midriff-baring separates, braided-leather shifts, and see-through crochets. She’s a wanton Penelope Cruz type, an adventurer in a manic world of magical realism, a modern day Red Riding Hood. Vevers keeps lock step with sensuality by showing hints of flesh in unexpected places, and turning his sweet protagonist into a hooded vixen.

written by GRACE GORDON|photos: courtesy of GoRUNWAY