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A First Look at Loewe’s Whimsical ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ Collection

Jonathan Anderson pays tribute to Studio Ghibli’s film-making craft in the highly anticipated collaboration

By Lucy Rees
Surreal fashion scene with giant cartoon creature and two models wearing layered colorful jackets against a clear sky.
LOEWE x MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO collection. Photo: Gray Sorrenti. Courtesy of Loewe

When luxury fashion meets cult Japanese animation, the results are sure to be out of this world. And that is exactly the case for the new Loewe x Studio Ghibli collaboration, which features a capsule collection dedicated to the cult 1988 film, My Neighbor Totoro. 

The limited-edition pieces, available online and in select stores from January 8, include a variety of leather accessories, some of Loewe’s most classic bags, as well as t-shirts, hoodies, jumpers, and even biker jackets. All of the items are adorned with the familiar fantastical landscapes and some of the fantasy film’s most iconic characters, like the Susuwatari (soot sprites).

Released in 1988, My Neighbor Totoro remains a cultural landmark beloved by children and adults alike. It is the vision of famed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, often hailed as the world’s greatest animators, along with his colleague at Ghibli Studios, Isao Takahata. The movie depicts the touching story of Mei and Satsuki’s friendship with the magical Totoro and his friends, a group of dust bunnies, who can’t be seen by adults.

Yellow purse with blue cartoon character design on green leafy background
The heel pouch. Photo: Gray Sorrenti. Courtesy of Loewe.
Illustration of animatronic character beside a person holding a purse in a vibrant, outdoorsy scene.
My Neighbor Totoro: The Studio Ghibli Collection, 2021. Photo: Gray Sorrenti. Courtesy of Loewe

“It labor of love by its author and the team at Studio Ghibli, the Japanese film studio based in Tokyo that animated and directed the film,” Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson said in a statement. “The connection between Loewe and Studio Ghibli is that of mutual love of craft and artisanal techniques, expressed in our respective languages.” 

The Spanish fashion house stays true to its history of meticulous leather craftsmanship, utilizing distinctive marquetry techniques as well as detailed hand-painted motifs across the accessories.  

A brown leather tote bag featuring a whimsical cartoon character design, placed on a tree stump against a cloudy sky.
Totora Hammock Bag. Photo: Courtesy of Loewe

“There is a natural longing for heartwarming feelings right now,” explained Anderson. “When I think of a movie that affords me that kind of solace, speaking just as directly to a child as it does to an adult, that movie is My Neighbor Totoro.” To capture the feeling of youth and freedom, the silhouettes of the t-shirts, jackets, and shirts are fluid, relaxed, and open, and conjure the feeling of being in open air. The collection’s dreamy campaign, shot beautifully by New York photographer Gray Sorrenti, fuses colorful drawings from Totoro with images of models frolicking in the woods. 

White long-sleeve shirt with embroidered green tree design featuring a small cartoon character peeking through branches.
A look from the new Loewe collaboration with Studio Ghibili. Photo: Courtesy of Loewe
Orange leather biker jacket with multiple zippers and unique black pom-pom accents, displayed on a white background.
A look from the new Loewe collection with Studio Ghibli. Photo: Courtesy of Loewe

The late film critic Roger Ebert once wrote that My Neighbor Totoro was a children’s movie “made for the world we should live in, rather than the one we occupy. A film with no villains. No fight scenes. No evil adults… A world where if you meet a strange towering creature in the forest, you curl up on its tummy and have a nap.” And isn’t that what we all could use a bit of right now?  

Loewe x My Neighbor Totoro is available in stores and online from January 8.