Inside the making of Loewe Perfumes’ porcelain bottle toppers, delicately crafted by Lladró

Loewe and Lladró are two brands with a lot in common. They’re both Spanish, they’re both born out of an obsessive desire to master a particular material (Loewe with leather and Lladró with porcelain), and they’re both exemplars of luxury design.

So it seems fitting, then, that the two maisons have finally come together for an exceptional collaboration: a limited-edition run of porcelain flask toppers for three of Loewe Perfumes’ classic scents.

Inside the making of Loewe Perfumes’ porcelain bottle toppers, delicately crafted by Lladró

Each fragrance – ‘Loewe 001’, ‘Loewe Earth’ and ‘Loewe Agua Drop’ – has been selected to represent three different olfactory universes inside the Botanical Rainbow, the name given to the entire collection of 24 nature-inspired fragrances by in-house nose Núria Cruelles (they are recognisable for their multicoloured, block-shaped glass bottles, designed by Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson).

The Lladró flask toppers are delicately shaped like carnations, Spain’s national flower, reflecting the botanical codes of Loewe Perfumes. ‘Synaesthesia is a key aspect of how I perceive the world around me, and when I see the Lladró flowers, I can imagine smells and olfactory notes in my mind,’ says Cruelles. ‘It’s a multisensory connection.’

‘001’ was the first fragrance made under Anderson’s tenure. A light blend of jasmine, linen and musk, the scent is simultaneously fresh and warm. ‘The name indicates a new start for the brand,’ said Anderson upon its release in 2016. In the Lladró collaboration, its clean, translucent flask is joined by the magenta-pink and pale blue bottles containing the ‘Earth’ and ‘Agua Drop’ fragrances.

For the former, Cruelles combined notes from above and below the ground, including mimosa, violet, pear and truffle. ‘I was inspired by the fungi kingdom,’ she said in 2022. ‘[Truffle] gives the new perfume its own personality. Its aroma makes you deep dive into nature and drives you to the purest concept of earth.’ The latter (one of the Botanical Rainbow collection’s latest additions) is a citrussy floral, where bergamot and orange flower absolute are underscored by the woodiness of the brand’s unique Loewe Accord.

With the Loewe flask tops, Lladró shows off its remarkable talent for rendering porcelain into lifelike forms. Each carnation’s serrated petal, no matter how small, has been meticulously handcrafted and individually painted inside the brand’s Valencia workshop, which can trace its history (and its production methods) back to 1953, the year the company was founded by Juan, José and Vicente Lladró. The three brothers were artists, graduates of the Valencia School of Arts and Crafts, and were keen to bring a modern Spanish perspective to the two century-old techniques pioneered by the German, French and Italian porcelain houses Meissen, Sèvres and Capodimonte.

The Spanish siblings broke away from the familiarity of ornate, rococo designs and pioneered a new aesthetic, characterised by elongated lines and a pastel colour palette. The milky appearance of Lladró porcelain is thanks to a secret paste recipe, which is still closely guarded by the family to this day.

Loewe, likewise, came from humble beginnings before rising to fame. Starting life in 1846 as a collective of leathermakers, the Madrid-based workshop was known for its small leather goods, such as wallets, purses, and cigarette and jewellery cases. In 1872, a German expat named Enrique Loewe Roessberg joined forces with the workshop, capitalising on its technical precision and imaginative vision to open a store. (A mere 20 years later, the brand would become an official supplier to the Spanish monarchy).

When Anderson joined Loewe as creative director in 2013, he spearheaded a major rejuvenation of the house. Just ten years on, Loewe is one of the most revered fashion brands in the world; one that is also steadfast in a commitment to the past, present and future of craft. ‘Craft is the essence of Loewe,’ Anderson has said. ‘It is where our modernity lies and it will always be relevant.’

Proof of this, if it were needed, is seen in emerging talent initiatives such as the annual Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, which just celebrated its seventh edition. (Mexican artist Andrés Anza was named the 2024 winner, receiving a €50,000 prize for his life-size sculpture I only know what I have seen). Loewe also frequently teams up with established contemporary artists. Past projects span from costumes made for Turner Prize nominee Anthea Hamilton’s performance piece The Squash (2018) to jewellery designed with American sculptor Lynda Benglis, whose bronze works adorned the S/S24 womenswear show space.

What Loewe Perfumes has made with Lladró is in keeping with this collaborative spirit, here merging innate references to nature with historic craft. ‘Loewe has such a strong, ongoing dedication to excellence in craft and a deep respect for its Spanish roots,’ Cruelles reiterates, adding that just 600 Lladró flasks for each fragrance will ever be made.

‘This collaboration with an institution such as Lladró perfectly reflects these values. Jonathan Anderson draws from nature for Loewe Perfumes, and Lladró has brought this to life in porcelain.’ 

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A version of this article appears in the October 2024 Guest Editors’ Issue of Wallpaper* available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.