German artist Cosima von Bonin’s whimsical fabric sculptures played a starring role in Loewe’s fall/winter 2026 fashion show on March 6, 2026. The show, held at the Château de Vincennes, marked the first Paris presentation by the Spanish fashion house’s new co-creative directors, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, founders of Proenza Schouler.
Plush creations in the form of hermit crabs, bulldogs, and killer whales by the Cologne-based artist sat interspersed atop rows of oversized white shoeboxes that served as seats. As models paraded down the lacquered marigold-yellow catwalk, they sported designs that incorporated her floral and gingham motifs, whether in inner linings or hand-painted onto garments. Loewe’s Amazona 180 bag was also rendered in porcelain by the artist. Von Bonin’s sculptural sea creatures and canines were also present in the form of charms, jewels, accessories, and minaudières.
“Humour, levity, and a bright, inclusive spirit—qualities we recognise as intrinsic to LOEWE’s Spanish heritage—led us to the work of Cosima von Bonin, an artist we have long admired and with whom we were fortunate to spend time recently,” said McCollough and Hernandez in the presentation’s show notes. “Her work mirrors many of the ideas we were seeking to articulate and manifest in physical form. Her wry humour cloaks rigorous questioning and critique—a tension between outward levity and a subversive undercurrent. Humour can be revolutionary, at times the most piercing way to deliver a serious message.”
Von Bonin was born in Mombasa, Kenya, in 1962. She works across painting and sculpture, and often incorporates found objects and pop-cultural touchstones into installations that are tinged with dark humor. Her work has been shown at the 59th edition of the Venice Biennale in 2022, the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art in 2016, and Documenta in 1982 and again in 2007. Solo presentations dedicated to the artist have taken place at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and SculptureCenter in New York. She is represented by Petzel Gallery in New York.
The luxury Spanish brand has a history of celebrating craft and artistry in its fashion shows, particularly under its previous creative director, Jonathan Anderson. Ellsworth Kelly’s Yellow Panel with Red Curve (1989) served as a starting point for Loewe’s spring/summer 2026 collection, while inspirations for past runway shows and collections have included collaborations with American sculptor Lynda Benglis, Italian painter and installation artist Lara Favaretto, and Los Angeles–based painter Richard Hawkins. The Loewe Foundation recently announced its shortlist of finalists for the 2026 Loewe Craft Prize, whose winner will be announced on May 12, 2026.
