Loewe Has Quietly Redesigned The Puzzle Bag — & I No Longer Want It

Over the last decade, Loewe has gone from being a relatively unknown designer to one of the buzziest fashion brands in the world. Known for its impeccable craftsmanship and innovative design, the Spanish design house took out the top spot in the Lyst Index in Q4 last year. Although it has since slipped to third place, it has retained this spot for the first two quarters of 2024. Loewe's basket bag, Anagram tank top and flower sunglasses have been seen on virtually every celebrity over the last year, including Zendaya, Sofia Richie Grainge, Beyoncé and Hailey Bieber. But if there's one item that has managed to retain its IYKYK status over the last decade, it's the brand's iconic Puzzle bag.

With its high-quality craftsmanship, subtle branding and distinct shape, the bag has been high on my wishlist for the last few years. Unlike many modern designer bag styles, which the design houses incessantly borrow from each other, it's a shape that feels fresh and unique, even 10 years after it was first released. But as I've been diligently saving my pennies, I've realised that even while it has gone up in price (over $2,000 AUD in the last two years alone) the bag has quietly changed — for the worse.

The original Puzzle bag was the brainchild of Jonathan Anderson during his tenure as the Creative Director of Loewe — and quickly became a modern classic. It was constructed from 75 pieces of leather that had to be meticulously hand crafted in Madrid over nine hours, using over 500 different actions to get the signature origami-like effect. The bag's architectural lines and sumptuous leather elevated it to iconic status, making it a coveted accessory among the fashion girlies. Its versatility, with options to wear it as a top handle bag, a shoulder bag, a crossbody, clutch or even a backpack, made it a great addition to any wardrobe.

However, during a recent visit to the Loewe store, I made a disappointing discovery. The original Puzzle bag that I had cherished for years had been discontinued, and replaced by a new addition: the Puzzle Edge. While change is inevitable in fashion, this one felt particularly perplexing.

The construction of the Puzzle Edge is completely different: it uses far less material for the main body, presumably requiring far less time and less skill to produce, yet it still carries a hefty price tag of $5,600 at the time of writing. The signature overlapping design has been replaced with straight stitching that feels far more slapdash. While some colours in the original design (priced at $5,850) were available at the time of writing, these come with a nylon strap instead of the original leather strap, further diminishing the bag's premium feel. The meticulous craftsmanship that defined the original Puzzle bag seems to have been compromised in favour of efficiency.

I'd noticed the Puzzle Edge bag selling on retail sites for a while, but had erroneously assumed it was going to exist in tandem with the classic. However over time, although third-party retail sites continued to offer both bags, Loewe stopped referring to the new Puzzle Edge bag as such, and on its website, it is now just called the Puzzle Bag.

Of course, I headed straight to TikTok, and it didn't take long to find that I was not the only one who had discovered the disappointing changes. Multiple creators are lamenting the new design, pointing out that this once-iconic bag has lost much of its original charm and craftsmanship, which many followers echoed in the comments.

Unfortunately, this shift reflects a broader trend in the luxury market, where heritage brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton have continuously increased prices while skimping on quality. It's disappointing to see Loewe, a brand that was once an exemplar of exceptional craftsmanship, follow a similar path.

The original Puzzle bag will always hold a special place in my heart among the canon of iconic accessories; a testament to the artistry that propelled Loewe's rise to fame. For those who might still be looking to invest in one of the original Puzzle bags, I believe it's a worthwhile investment — if you can get your hands on one in the pre-loved market.