It bags by Loewe—at your service

Bagaholics who prize exclusivity should know that Loewe, the fine leathergoods brand from Spain, has just launched an atelier service.

Yes, at Rustan’s Shangri-La, you can have Loewe customize its iconic Amazona bag to your specifications: in your choice of colors, skins, accessories — even lining and logo — and design it on an iPad, a sure sign that the 167-year-old company has come into the 21st century.

Another sign is that the brand has updated its heritage collections in bright, vibrant colors — presumably to attract a younger market.  It’s working: their Flamenco bag in purple immediately caught my attention, not just because the dance I love (and perform on occasion) inspired it, but also because of the bag’s clever design.  Pull the two tassels at the end and it cinches the top of this roomy drawstring tote, and the leather is buttery-soft, smooth and surprisingly light.

“Our leather expertise is the big difference between Loewe and other brands,” says Adrian Wong, Loewe’s PR and marketing manager for Asia-Pacific. “Loewe started in Madrid in 1846 — the only other brand that’s been around slightly longer than us is Hérmes, and that’s by three years.”

Loewe employ craftsmen who have been with the company 30 years, and have met their wives there. “Our leather expertise is so well known that we have a marroquinera, which is a leather-working school for students who want to take an apprenticeship. It they’re good enough to pass, then they work in our factory.”

This expertise ensures that Loewe can command and reserve the best pieces of leather from suppliers, which is why many bags and even the brand’s ready-to-wear are crafted from large pieces of leather, worked in new techniques like laser cutting and patchwork.

The signature Amazona bag, which accounts for 40 percent of Loewe’s sales, was first introduced in 1975, the era of women’s lib. “The bags were either day or nighttime — there was no bag that trandscended that, like the granny bags of the past,” notes Wong. “With the Amazona, while it’s structured, it’s also very soft, it’s just the form that gives it shape. So it’s quite comfy to carry, and very light.” No wonder the large is the Amazona’s bestselling size.

Cut from Loewe’s trademark napa leather, the Flamenco bag also comes from the brand’s archives, originally designed in the ’80s as a simple drawstring bag. “We updated it, put tassels on the side, and jazzed it up with a lot of bright colors, which Loewe does really, really well,” Wong says. “We find that the largest version is good for those who carry a lot because it’s sturdy and the leather is good quality.”

The company lines its more luxurious bags in lambskin, and also specializes in suede, a velvety leather that gets even softer and acquires a patina with time.

Colorwise you can’t get more Loewe than Oro, a camel tone that has become the brand’s signature because Wong says it reminds the world of Spain’s bright sunshine and rich earth. The very first Amazona bag was presented in Oro, and every year Loewe makes it a point to release a collection in the creamy hue.

With the slogan “one touch tells the story,” tactility, or how pleasurable these leathers feel against the skin, is an important part of the brand. It’s definitely a significant factor for women who like to keep their bags close, or clutch them like a prized pet.

In terms of Loewe’s atelier service, this means that women can control how soft and touchable or structured and luxe their bags are. “The Amazona comes in exotics and regular calf leather, from a low price to a very premium price point,” notes Sibovy Nguon, LVMH’s wholesale and travel retail manager for Asia-Pacific.

Your order will first be channeled to Hong Kong, where Loewe’s regional office is based, before being crafted by the brand’s leather artisans in Spain. “Calfskin suede takes around three months; for exotic skins about four,” Nguon continues. “Crocodile and ostrich have been doing very well.”

Whichever Loewe item you aspire to — I know I’m dreaming about that purple Flamenco — it’s clear that their future is very much in the bag.

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Loewe is exclusively available at Rustan’s in Shangri-La Plaza Mall.