Somewhere at the crossroads of design, development and merchandising, Camille Villegas has his eyes on everything. As Color, fabrics and animations Designer for Accessories at Loewe, his role is to guarantee a subtle link between ready to wear and these complementary products, pushing them towards more innovation while ensuring an aesthetic coherence that require a skillful balance. “It’s all about writing a story within the bigger story” he says. In other words, working with colors, leather grain and patterns in ever surprising ways, to create this cross-over between astonishment and familiarity that makes the Spanish brand so special.

A career on the move

Camille Villegas has shaped his job in his own image, through a career path that has lead him from the Institut Français de la Mode to Loewe, via the beauty industry and the Céline studio. Over ten years later, he has succeeded in developing and adapting his activity to an ever increasingly paced industry. “We’ve gone from four collections and two shows to ten side projects a year! Whether it’s our image-driven world, Instagram or the speed at which new products are needed, the brand has managed to adapt to today’s world and to the international calendar’s events, such as the Lunar New Year or 520, the Chinese equivalent to our Valentine’s Day.” For him, this means creating all the more animations, in addition to seasonal collections.

Innovation through continuity

At Loewe this offer is spread over four segments : iconic carry-overs, updated through new colors and textures; seasonal of classical shapes, with technical and chromatic variations; new styles that enrich existing products, and new lines that are hoped to become tomorrow’s iconics. To each its own moodboard, its own fabrics and suppliers research, and its own color choice. “You have to mix the permanent colors with those of the season, and temper the different combinations in order to maintain a visual consistency in store, while introducing newness.” he explains.

A major craftsmanship challenge

This fine balancing game is about respecting Loewe’s profoundly artisanal DNA, anchored in a rich heritage that keeps on growing season after season. “The strength of Loewe is that it keeps moving forward” says Camille Villegas. The brand keeps the future of its know-how at heart, a crucial preservation for rooting textile innovation in a solid, evolving history, driven by creative impulse and by ever more decisive challenges of newness and sustainability. If carried our properly, they are key to a powerful brand.