Over a decade after its release, the Loewe Puzzle is still the bag that everyone wants. Functional, foldable and exquisitely beautiful, we explore its fascinating history and enduring appeal.
A Very Short History of the Loewe Puzzle Bag
Every now and then, a bold new bag comes along and revolutionises the accessories world, achieving cult classic status – and sometimes mile-long waiting lists – overnight. There was the Chanel Flap, the Hermès Birkin, the Fendi Baguette, Prada’s nylon backpack – all game-changers in different ways. And then in 2014, a year into his role as Creative Director at Loewe, Jonathan Anderson created the Puzzle bag. A new icon was born.
The Puzzle was Anderson’s first bag for the Spanish leather goods house, who hadn’t released a new bag since the 1980s. This one, therefore, had to be special. “I set out to find a new way of building a bag, fundamentally questioning its structure,” Anderson explained. “It was about deconstructing a conventional bag to create a flat object with a tridimensional function.” Initially, it took the form of a men’s duffle bag, the most talked-about piece of Loewe’s spring / summer 2015 collection. Fast forward a few months, and it appeared in the women’s show, albeit slightly smaller with a top handle and crossbody strap. A decade on, it remains a core part of the Loewe lineup, a testament to its status as an inimitable modern classic.
So what is it that makes the Puzzle so special? The answer lies not only in its understated beauty, but also in its intricate technical skill. True to its name, the Puzzle is constructed like a jigsaw, comprising 75 individual pieces of laser-cut leather. The pieces are trimmed and hand-painted at Loewe’s Madrid atelier, before being assembled into a geometric, origami-like shape. Striking yet highly functional, the bag can be folded down until it is completely flat, and, with the addition of different straps, worn in five different ways. The design process is so complex that it takes almost ten hours to assemble a single Puzzle bag, each one a feat of precision and meticulous craftsmanship, as well as a tribute to Loewe’s artisanal heritage. “As a house we are about craft in the purest sense of the word,” Anderson explained. “This is where our modernity lies, and it will always be relevant.”
To truly stand the test of time, a luxury handbag must be practical, well as exquisite. With its ability to be worn as a shoulder bag, crossbody, tote or clutch, the Puzzle is brilliantly versatile, with various shapes and sizes to choose from. While the original remains perhaps the best-loved style, even the Mini and Small sizes are roomy enough for all your essentials, while the sleek Puzzle Fold Tote is spacious enough for a laptop but can still be folded compactly into a square, making it ideal for travel and day-to-day life – Jennifer Lawrence uses one as her gym bag.
Over the years, the Puzzle has been released in an array of finishes and colourways, from rainbow brights to the brand’s instantly recognisable black, beige and green. There have been special editions too, with Anderson partnering creative forces such as Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli and Kyoto-based ceramics studio Suna Fujita to see the Puzzle reimagined with dreamy illustrations and whimsical prints. Not surprisingly, these limited editions sold out swiftly and have become covetable investment pieces, holding significant value on resale.
As its name reflects, the Puzzle is a contradiction – masculine yet feminine, bold yet discreet, streamlined, yet intricately and complexly crafted. Alongside its more classic counterparts, it stands out for its fusion of clean lines and ingenious design spirit – quietly revolutionary, a modern masterpiece.
