[New York City] Custom Models for Loewe’s Ibiza Collection

Under the direction of our founder Taro Yaguchi, we here at Taro’s Origami Studio, are always looking for ways to translate brand identity into something tactile, immediate, and memorable. That vision came to life during a recent in-store activation at LOEWE’s Greene Street location in SoHo, celebrating the launch of the brand’s latest Paula’s Ibiza capsule collection—a line known for its playful energy, sun-soaked palette, and bold, nature-inspired motifs.

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Background on the Project

LOEWE’s Paula’s Ibiza collection draws heavily from organic forms—fruit, florals, and coastal textures that evoke a sense of warmth and spontaneity. For this event, the Taro’s team was invited to interpret two of the collection’s standout motifs through paper: the artichoke and the strawberry.

Senior Artist Frank Ling designed both models specifically for the activation, developing forms that balanced sculptural accuracy with the clean geometry of origami. The goal was not just to replicate these natural elements, but to capture their layered and vibrant character in paper form.

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The Design Process

Both the strawberry and artichoke models were developed specifically for this event.  The strawberry came together relatively quickly—its form lent itself well to a clear 5-sided pentagonal structure with defined points and tabs.  Frank designed it to use several layers of paper to achieve depth and a clean locking mechanism.  The artichoke, however, proved far more complex. Its layered, organic structure required multiple rounds of refinement to achieve the right balances between realism and foldability.

Early versions had a tough time holding the layers together, but Senior Artist Frank Ling adjusted the locks, proportions, and fold sequences to create a model that felt both sculptural and elegant, while still being practical to produce live during the event.

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The Origami Experience

Throughout the evening, Frank worked live in-store, folding each piece by hand as customers browsed the collection. The process itself became part of the experience. Guests gathered to watch the transformation from flat sheet to dimensional form—an unfolding moment that mirrored the craftsmanship and attention to detail central to LOEWE’s brand. Each completed origami piece was gifted to customers, turning the interaction into something personal and lasting.

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Craft Meets Fashion

What made this collaboration especially compelling was the shared emphasis on craftsmanship. LOEWE’s legacy in leatherwork and material innovation aligns naturally with origami’s focus on precision, structure, and form.

In fact, Loewe has more experience with origami than just the Ibiza collection.  They also have a unique origami pump shoe that was recently released.  By introducing paper as a medium, the activation highlighted the dialogue between disciplines—fashion and folding, texture and geometry. Not only does the origami help advertise the products, the products are also infused and designed with the artform.