Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1525828
OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. C r e a t i v e d i r e c t o r Jonathan Anderson has transformed the formidable fashion house Loewe (can you say loo- ev-ay) into one of the most important players in the fashion world, heralded by both the fashion elite and kids on the street. The talk of the fashion industry, Anderson is pushing boundaries at the Spanish fashion house, which was founded in 1846 as a leathermaking collective, where he fuses artist collaborations into a diverse range of products including home goods, fragrances, ready-to-wear, and leather goods. After its Texas debut in Dallas' Highland Park Village last December, the Houston Loewe boutique has opened in River Oaks District, showcasing the complete collection of womenswear, shoes, bags, accessories, and home scents, and taking design cues from Anderson's Casa Loewe retail concept, which evokes the feeling of an art collector's residence. Works from Loewe's extensive art collection appear throughout the 2,056-square-foot boutique, including ceramics by British potter Edmund de Waal, a work in oil by Behrang Karimi, and G ala Design-Studio's new 10,000-square- foot showroom, showcasing the Southwest's largest offering of Italian heritage brand Boffi, has arrived in the River Oaks area in a big way, encompassing luxury kitchens and closets, doors, furniture, lighting, storage systems, and exterior cladding. You can't miss the striking new contemporary building on Westheimer, conceived by Cisneros Design Studio, clad in sweeping rods of Novowood, the sustainable composite wood that Gala represents within the showroom. Partners Renee Galang, a luxury showroom veteran with a background in architecture and design, and retail and finance guru James Kim debuted Aran Cucine showroom with its elegant kitchen and closet solutions catty-corner from the new showroom last year and teamed up again to bring Gala Design-Studio to life. Inside the sleek, luxurious Gala showroom, the ground floor is dedicated to 90-year-old brand Boffi and its outstanding kitchens, bathrooms, and closets, along with its sister brands: De Padova furniture, which has collaborations with Paul Smith and Japan- based Time & Style, and notable door maker ADL. Upstairs offers indoor, outdoor, office furniture, game tables, accessories, mirrors, lighting, and more from covetable brands such as MisuraEmme, Linie Design, Roll & Hill, RS Barcelona, Arte Veneziana, laCividina, and other names. In addition to offering exceptional bespoke options from 20 traditional and avant-garde European artisan brands, Gala Design-Studio handles space planning, architectural design support, consultation, and collaboration to contracting and installation for residential and commercial projects. Gala Design- Studio, 2222 Westheimer, galadesign-studio.com. Anne Lee Phillips Benvenuta, Gala Highs and Loewe botanical pencil sketches by British artist Eliot Hodgkin, while works by British textile artist John Allen, a longtime Loewe collaborator, are reproduced on bespoke wool rugs. Amidst an earthy palette of brown, white, pink, and blue ceramic Spanish tiles, furniture as art includes pieces from Utrecht, Nakashima, and Axel Vervoordt. Loewe Houston, 4444 Westheimer Road, River Oaks District, loewe.com. Caitlin Hsu The new Gala Design-Studio CAROLINE FONTENOT 20