LOEWE: Paula's Ibiza through the lens of Gray Sorrenti

Taken to the dissonant backdrops of The Big Easy

"I've been coming to New Orleans since I was born. It's where my Mom grew up, so it's my second home" says the burgeoning 17-year-old photographer, Gray Sorrenti in an exclusive Loewe Paula's Ibiza Publication. Growing up part New Yorker and part New Orleans native, Sorrenti's bicultural exposure has allowed her to create a distinct style of photography that can only be achieved through lived experience.

There's a certain soulful quality that's felt when flipping through LOEWE's most recent lookbook. Taken to the dissonant backdrops of New Orleans, LOEWE taps the young photographer to lens its Spring/Summer 2018 "Paula's Ibiza" Capsule Collection. In a series of musing greyscale and sun-tinged hues, Sorrenti captures the spirit of the iconic Ibizan boutique, Paula's, its archival print patterns, the hazy daze of summer and the diverse local community of The Big Easy.

"It was turning dark and you could see the city start to shake."

Informed by the liberal vibrancy of youth, Sorrenti lenses LOEWE's "Paula's Ibiza", a special capsule incorporating the original design patterns from the historic Ibizan boutique. Retro beach motifs are juxtaposed alongside splashes of radiant tones. Polka dots, beach flags, mermaids, circus characters, and cartoon hummingbirds are layered into playful tatters that bring a somewhat improvisational element to the looks. Lousiana's infamous, Young Fellaz Brass Band makes an appearance, too "They roll dice in between sets on the corner of Frenchman and Chartres, right across from the fried-chicken joint and catty-corner from the bookshop", mentions Sorrenti. In one photo, you can see a member playing his sax in the LOEWE Aqua Paula Mermaid Fisherman Hat. Paula's fabeled sea creatures and circus performers inhabit the garments as well: The ‘Plumetis’, ‘Flags’, ‘Mermaids’, ‘Circus’ and ‘Birds’ prints are reimagined into Jonathan Anderson's contemporary design aesthetic.

"I was set on finding the Young Fellaz Brass Band. They roll dice in between sets on the corner of Frenchman and Chartres, right across from the fried-chicken joint and catty-corner from the bookshop"

"The slow drag of politeness with the "yes ma'ams" and the "no sirs" are forever ingrained in my soul. The sounds of brass instruments and the deep guttural howl of raspy vocals seeps out of every nook and cranny. New Orleans is filled with magical mystic people: artists, musicians, eccentrics, rich, poor, gay, straight, black and white. The mix is beautiful and the outcome is unique and fruitful."

The collection see's Jonathan Anderson patchwork techniques and curatorial sensibilities come to life in the form of sundresses, denim pieces and hoodies. Fringed garbs and textured sequins are mashed up in an earthy mix of leather patches and wooden embossments. Key items include the LOEWE Multicolor Paula Denim Jacket, Calico Paula Sweatshirt and Paula Patches Shorts to name a few. The concise assemblage is a throwback to the designer's childhood memories of visiting Paula's, but also reinterpreted for today's generation. Vignettes of the bohemian lifestyle are captured halfway across the world decades later as seen through Sorrenti's lens, just as the archived designs are once again seeing the light of day, only this time, to a world that's now more progressively liberal than its ever been.