What is Loewe famous for? All about the luxury brand as its Studio Ghibli collection resale prices shoot up on eBay

Last week Loewe launched its Spirited Away collection, which is its second collaboration with Studio Ghibli. The limited-edition capsule collection is inspired by 'Spirited Away', a Hayao Miyazaki direction.

Just a week after the collection debuted, the items promptly sold out online and hit the resale market at shockingly high prices. One of the items that surfaced and caught netizen's attention is the Susuwatari-printed candle. The candle was originally priced at $220 and is currently valued at $451,049 on the eBay site.

While the candle's price seems ridiculously high, there are other items at more reasonable prices such as Chihiro Amazona 28 bag ($8999.99), Yubaba tote ($6230.99) and Susuwatari puzzle bag ($7869.31).

Nevertheless, the collection was a huge hit amongst fans and seemed to get a really positive response. Those who weren't able to buy the items at retail prices will have to settle for these high resale prices. Hopefully, the brand launches a third collection soon and will give fans new collectibles to add to their collection.

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What is Loewe famous for?

Loewe is a spanish fashion brand which was established in 1846 in Madrid, Spain. The brand was founded by Enrique Loewe Roessberg, a German craftsman who specialized in leather work. In 1905, the brand became "Official Supplier to the Spanish Royal Crown", appointed by King Alfanso XIII when Enrique was at the head of the house.

The label originally specialized in leather handbags and purses, before gradually making its way to ready-to-wear collections in 1965. Aside from these it also produces home and lifestyle products, such as journals, wallets, towels and keyrings.

The major transformation took place when the label hired British designer Jonathan Anderson. The brand is presently seen collaborating on forward-thinking collections.

Anderson's reinvention of the brand won a lot of hearts as he reimagined the brand's esthetic. He launched a conceptual unisex collection before it was a trend turning the brand from a conservative beacon into a modern, millennial brand, that still held on to its heritage.

A standout moment for the brand was when Anderson launched the line of "Puzzle bags" that instantly became a hit and was carried by famous celebrities such as "Beyonce" and "Elsa Hosk".

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All about Loewe's x Studio Ghibli collection

The second Studio Ghibli capsule launched on January 7, 2022. The collection features a number of designs inspired by characters from the film including No-Face, Chihiro Ogino, Boh, and more. The fashion brand's Creative Director, Jonathan Anderson, describes the movie as:

"An ode to loyalty, friendship, and stubbornness in the face of adversity. It is magical."

The collection's listed prices ranged from $300 to $6,400. In this cultural exchange collaboration the brand adopted a Japanese stitching method. Creative director Jonathan explained:

“We also introduced pieces inspired by the classic Japanese technique known as ‘boro’ which consists of mended and indigo-dyed scraps patchworked together, creating intarsia of Kasuri textiles and Anagram jacquard canvas on both ready-to-wear and bags.”

The collection includes items such as Loewe's bags, ready-to-wear apparel, scented candles, wallets, and many more. Some of the brand's signature pieces are also customized in accordance with the collection, such as the Bô mouse Small Puzzle bag in classic calfskin and Small Kohaku Heel pouch in soft calfskin.