Five Highlights From the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize

"“For us, the idea of craft doesn't necessarily have to be crafty,” says Lazaro Hernandez, one half of the new creative director duo now steering Loewe alongside Jack McCollough. Conceived in 2014 and first awarded three years later, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize marks a decade this year. Established to champion contemporary craft at its most inventive, the annual award has become a barometer for where artisanal practice is heading next."

"More than 5,100 submissions arrived from 133 countries and regions for the 2026 edition in Singapore, though only 30 finalists made the cut, selected by a panel of jurors that, this year, includes McCollough and Hernandez for the first time. “The deliberation process was really difficult,” says McCollough. “There were some heated discussions, but we're super happy with the final result.”"

"This year's winner has been named as Jongjin Park, who will recieve €50,000, while special mentions are awarded to Graziano Visintin and Álvarez Catalán de Ocón, who will each receive €5,000 apiece. There is another anniversary in the air, too: Loewe turns 180 this year. The house traces its beginnings back to calle Lobo in Madrid, where a collective of artisans made leather purses, wallets, cigarette cases and frames for Spanish royalty and, eventually, an international cast that included Ernest Hemingway, Sophia Loren, Rita Hayworth and Marlene Dietrich."

The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize is an annual award for contemporary craft, created in 2014 and first awarded three years later. The 2026 edition in Singapore received more than 5,100 submissions from 133 countries and regions, with 30 finalists selected by jurors including Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The prize winner is Jongjin Park, receiving €50,000, while Graziano Visintin and Álvaro Catalán de Ocón receive €5,000 special mentions. The prize is positioned as a benchmark for where artisanal practice is heading next. Loewe also marks its 180th anniversary, tracing its origins to Madrid leatherwork and later acquisition by Enrique Loewe Roessberg.

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