ALL ABOUT PASCALE LEPOIVRE, CEO OF LOEWE

A Conversation with Pascale Lepoivre: The CEO Who’s Steering Loewe into a Bright Future (And Having Fun While Doing It)

Pascale Lepoivre is not your typical luxury brand CEO. She doesn’t seek the limelight—she lets the work speak for itself. As the CEO of Loewe for the past eight years, Pascale has led the brand through some serious transformations. From being a small, conservative label to becoming one of the most exciting names in luxury fashion today, Loewe’s evolution has been nothing short of impressive.

I had the opportunity to hear from Pascale, who gave an inside look at her journey at Loewe, the magic behind the brand’s success, and her thoughts on everything from TikTok trends to fashion collaborations.

From Reluctance to Realization

When Pascale first joined Loewe, she wasn’t fulfilling some lifelong dream. "I wasn’t overly excited, actually," she admits. "Before this, I was commuting between London and Paris for Celine, and I really wanted to settle in one city."

But then she took a deeper look at the creative direction of Jonathan Anderson, who had been at the brand for a couple of years. "I started looking into Jonathan’s vision and thought it was super interesting—there was a lot of potential," she says. That potential is now evident, as Loewe is thriving with a unique identity that mixes heritage with modernity.

What's a CEO do at Loewe?

As the CEO, Pascale’s role is more than just overseeing the operations—it’s about building relationships, fostering the right team, and making sure everything is profitable. "A CEO’s job depends on the phase the brand is in," she explains. "In the beginning, it was about aligning the internal team and making sure the operations were running smoothly." But don’t be fooled—Pascale also knows how to make the numbers work. "You need to sell stuff, and it has to be profitable, especially in a luxury group like LVMH."

From the start, Loewe’s heritage was clear, but the brand’s direction needed some fine-tuning. "The quality was always there, but Loewe was a bit lost within itself," Pascale recalls. "It was very Spanish, but in a way, it wasn’t speaking to the modern customer."

The Phases of Loewe: Growing Without Losing Itself

Under Pascale’s leadership, Loewe went through several distinct phases, each one moving the brand closer to its current position as a high-fashion powerhouse.

Phase 1: Alignment and Foundation

The first phase was all about getting everyone on the same page. "It was really about sharing plans internally and aligning the team around a shared vision," says Pascale.

Phase 2: Expanding Product and Distribution

Loewe was initially focused mostly on leather goods, but Pascale knew that the brand needed to diversify to grow. "We had to accelerate product development and expand our SKU range," she explains. This was the foundation for the first big wave of growth. "We also had to adjust distribution—closing some standalone stores and shifting to department store corners," she adds.

The brand started to invest in marketing, and by 2019, post-COVID, Loewe had the resources to go big—securing high-profile collaborations and celebrity partnerships to elevate its global presence.

Who Exactly Is the Loewe Customer?

As one of the leaders in a brand that’s reshaping its identity, Pascale isn’t interested in cookie-cutter ideas about who the Loewe customer is. "Our customer base is broad," she says. "We’re not trying to cater to grandmothers, like some might expect from a traditional luxury brand." Instead, the Loewe customer is fashion-forward and sophisticated, particularly in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East.

"What I like about our approach is that you can’t really identify a ‘perfect’ Loewe customer, and that’s by design," Pascale explains. "We’re not trying to fit into one category. It takes longer to establish who you are when you don’t fit a mold, but it’s worth it."

On Collaborations: Fun But Fragile

In the world of luxury fashion, collaborations are often a double-edged sword. They can offer short-term buzz, but they also carry the risk of diluting the brand’s message. "Collaborations can be fragile in the long term," says Pascale. "It’s all about finding the right partner and staying true to our values."

Right now, Loewe is collaborating with On Running, a brand that’s growing at a similar pace. "We both started small and grew together," Pascale says. "But we’re careful with collaborations. We want to stay true to our brand and not overdo it."

What Does It Take to Work at Loewe?

Pascale has a very specific idea of what it takes to be part of the Loewe team—especially when it comes to collaborating with people outside of the creative director role.

"The first thing is energy," she says. "Fashion is a high-energy business. If you don’t like managing chaos, then it’s probably not for you." She adds that competence is key, especially in a complex business like fashion. "At a certain level, fashion is all about a mix of different skills—merchandisers, marketing experts, specialists in TikTok and celebrities. Everyone has to know their stuff, or the whole system falls apart."

Finally, Pascale values open-mindedness. "We’re allergic to people who take fashion too seriously," she says with a laugh. "We need people who take the job seriously but who also know how to be flexible and adaptable."

Navigating the TikTok Age

When it comes to social media, especially TikTok, Pascale has a love-hate relationship. "I find it funny sometimes and a bit pathetic other times," she admits. "But we hired a really dedicated team to handle it. They’re not from traditional fashion backgrounds, which is part of the charm—they’re doing things differently."

While the goal isn’t always about driving direct sales, she says, TikTok has helped increase global awareness of Loewe. "We’re not trying to do what we do on other platforms. It’s about experimenting and seeing what works."

The Fun Part of Being CEO

If you think being a CEO of a luxury brand is all stress and travel, think again. "It’s probably the most relaxing job I’ve ever had," Pascale admits. "I became a CEO much later in my career, at 50, and it’s been a fantastic ride. You get to build something great, and if you mess up, you know it’s on you."

And when it comes to being part of the larger LVMH family, Pascale has nothing but positive things to say. "The other CEOs at LVMH are all very different, but we all learn from each other. It’s a diverse group, and that’s something I really appreciate."

Staying Authentic While Scaling

As Loewe continues to grow, Pascale is careful not to lose the essence of what makes the brand special. "We’re still quite small in each market, and while the brand platform has grown quickly, we’re not obsessed with size," she says. "We’d rather not stretch ourselves too thin just for the sake of growth."

She’s also confident about the brand’s future, even if a change in leadership happens. "Jonathan and I have always worked with the idea that Loewe should be able to thrive without him," she says. "If he moves on one day, the brand will be strong enough to keep evolving."

The Takeaway: Fun, Flexible, and Always Evolving

For Pascale Lepoivre, being the CEO of Loewe isn’t just about running a luxury brand. It’s about staying true to the heritage while being open to change, staying flexible, and having fun along the way. "The more the brand grows, the better it gets," she says, and with her leadership, Loewe’s future looks brighter than ever.