In February of last year, another major collaboration took place, this time in closing of a long partnership between Studio Ghibli and Spanish luxury house Loewe. Following their highly successful team-up on Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki and Loewe came together to serve one last epic moment in the history of collaborations, releasing the brand's Howl's Moving Castle collaboration. It exceeded expectations with nothing short of imagination, depicting Calcifer, The Witch of the Waste, and Heen, along with other characters from the iconic 2004 film in various techniques. Embroidery, prints, little amulets, accessories, bejeweled boots and coats, nods to the Japanese studio's colour palette, and the iconic $15,000 Frankensteined Moving Castle bag left many eager buyers, too late for the swift sale-out, with much to dream about. Reference-studded and absolutely viral, this collaboration definitely deserves a highlight.
Ever since its in-store release on February 2nd of last year, many pieces have become iconic, and for a good reason. The quality of manufacture is visible in each piece: leather, soft to the touch, impeccable dye-to-match colour execution, and playful representation of the characters on various signature Loewe products, like the shoulder bag, all display extreme attention to detail.
Techniques like debossing and screen printing depict some of the main characters in a more obvious way, however, more subtle executions play a role, equally as exciting: lining prints and little charms, referencing characters, places and events, make up for a complete immersion into the Studio Ghibli's most successful film.
Purely through colour gradation, the orange Calcifer-inspired jumper achieves the pinnacle of subtlety and is, therefore, undoubtedly one of the most beloved pieces in the collection, alongside the hiking boots, which, studded with jewels and coated in soft luxurious leather, would hardly ever be exposed to the real rough weather conditions of hiking.
Other beloved pieces of the collection are the wool coat, telling Sophie's stories though the small charms, attached to its surface, as well as the printed pants, depicting the scene of Howl's catching a falling star and putting it where his heart is.
Resale of those items, as expected, heavily exceeded the original prices, which didn't stop fans from digging deeper into their pockets in order to acquire a luxury piece from the last collaboration between this iconic duo.