With tech-focused ventures and the lively prominence of the Metaverse, nowadays, fashion is more so than ever looking to the digital sphere as its next focal point. While some are going full speed ahead into the fully virtual, Loewe Creative Director Jonathan Anderson is taking a grounded approach—as evidenced by the Spanish brand’s thoughtful Spring/Summer 2023 menswear collection.

Merging the digitally produced and a serene, natural-born take on the real, Anderson aimed to highlight the glaring contrast between the aforementioned references. The 58-look collection showed Anderson at his best, with wearable, intriguing separates and one-of-a-kind creations displaying the designer’s knack for remaining on the cutting-edge.

Opening the collection was a decidedly capturing look that re-upped Anderson’s references from the get go. The knee-length black trench was molded with common tech accessories—phone case, earphones, hard drives—and was paired with white sneakers adorned with naturally grown foliage.

Then, Anderson leaned into the organic-fabricated blur with a slew of updated takes on menswear staples—oversized bombers, slouchy hoodies, baggy sweatpants, longline jackets. Too, the majority of the collection’s padded outerwear pieces were made with ozone-treated cotton, achieving a worn out facade as though they had been buried underground. Neutral hues dominated all around, with muted pops of yellow, green, and sky blue appearing on ready-to-wear and accessories alike.

Throughout, Chia plants and Cats wort clustered on coats, sweatpants, and more in a collaboration with designer Paula Ulargui Escalona. Anderson and Escalona perfected the experimental process in which the foliage took nearly 20 days to achieve the desired length in a specifically designed polytunnel.

Nearly a decade after taking the reins at Loewe, Jonathan Anderson’s casual surrealism continues to both innovate and reexamine what is possible within the sphere of ready-to-wear. And while society at large is increasingly linking with the digital, Anderson is finding solace in the known attributes of Mother Nature. The British creative’s designs spark a debate that is socially relevant, yet simultaneously palatable and wearable for the everyday. A master class in duality.