Loewe Hammock Small

A leather house in search of new shapes

Loewe is older than most of the houses it competes with. It began in Madrid in 1846 as a group of Spanish leather artisans, took its name in 1872 when Enrique Loewe y Roessberg, a merchant from Hesse in Germany, brought the workshop under his name, and in 1905 King Alfonso XIII made the founder's son a purveyor to the Royal Court. LVMH took over the house's international distribution in 1986 and became its sole owner in 1996.

For all that history, Loewe had not launched many lasting bag shapes in recent decades. When Jonathan Anderson arrived in 2013, his first major statement was the Puzzle bag of 2015, built from 75 pieces of leather and described as Loewe's first new shape since the 1980s. The Hammock followed a season later.

The Hammock was introduced in 2016, in the Spring/Summer 2016 ready-to-wear collection. Its name describes its construction: like a hammock, the body can be strung out wide or gathered in, and the bag was designed to fold and change its silhouette depending on how it is zipped and carried.

The designer from Magherafelt

Jonathan Anderson was born on September 17, 1984, in Magherafelt, in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2005. He founded his own label, JW Anderson, in 2008, starting with menswear.

In September 2013 LVMH took a minority stake in JW Anderson and named Anderson creative director of Loewe. He followed a line of designers that included Narciso Rodriguez from 1997 to 2000, Jose Enrique Ona Selfa from 2000 to 2007 and Stuart Vevers from 2008 to 2013.

Over 11 years Anderson turned Loewe into one of the most talked-about houses in fashion, through shape-shifting bags such as the Puzzle, the Hammock and the Balloon, surreal objects such as the Pigeon and Tomato clutches, and collaborations with Studio Ghibli. He left Loewe on March 17, 2025, and Dior named him artistic director of menswear the next month. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the founders of Proenza Schouler, succeeded him at Loewe.

How the Small Hammock works and how to identify it

The trick is in the sides. Two panels of the bag are structured and two are soft, and zippers along the sides let the owner open the body out into a wide, hammock-like sling or fold the side panels in for a more compact tote. Loewe describes the bag's flexible sides as folding in and out to create distinctive silhouettes.

The current Small Hammock in classic calfskin, in Tan, is listed by Loewe with a detachable and adjustable strap of 90 to 105 cm, a strap drop of 49 to 57 cm and a 10 cm handle drop. It has one exterior zip pocket and two interior slip pockets, a herringbone cotton canvas lining, palladium-finish hardware and the Loewe Anagram embossed on the front. Loewe gives its size as 25 cm high, 30 cm deep and 13.5 cm wide, and it is made in Spain.

Older examples differ in small ways. A tan calfskin Small Hammock dated 2021 that passed through the resale market was measured at 11.25 inches along the base, 9.5 inches high and 5.25 inches wide, with silver zippers, a black fabric interior with flat pockets and a 19-inch shoulder-strap drop. Buyers of secondhand examples are advised to check the corners, which can wear on the soft leather, the zippers and hardware, and the Loewe stamp, and to confirm that the strap and dust bag are included.

A family of Hammocks

The Hammock has stayed in the Loewe collection every year since its debut and has grown into a family. Early on it came in three main sizes: a drawstring Mini meant to be worn crossbody, the Small as the everyday bag, and a Medium tote. Later additions include the Compact Hammock, the Hammock Flip and a layered Flip, and the Hammock Slice.

For Spring 2022, Anderson reworked the shape as the Hammock Nugget, a one-size bag in smooth nappa calfskin whose top handles interlace to close it, with a suede lining; it retailed for $2,600. Limited editions have included bags made with the Studio Ghibli film Howl's Moving Castle and with the Japanese ceramic artist duo Suna Fujita.

Loewe's current U.S. lineup shows how the line has been priced: in October 2026 the Small Hammock in classic calfskin was listed at $3,250, alongside the Compact Hammock from $3,250, the Hammock Flip at $3,950 and the Mini Hammock hobo at $2,150. On the secondhand market prices are much lower; in May 2025 one reseller listed a yellow Small Hammock at $1,130.

The quieter icon

The Puzzle became Loewe's best-known bag of the Anderson years, and commentators have said the Hammock flies more under the radar despite its unusual lines. Because it blurs the hobo, the bucket bag and the crossbody, it has come back into focus as those shapes trend again.

It has also had its share of famous carriers, including Meghan Markle and Charlize Theron, and it was still in Loewe's U.S. lineup in October 2026, after Anderson's departure.

The numbers

Dimensions (maker)

Height 25 cm, depth 30 cm, width 13.5 cm

Dimensions (2021 example)

11.25 in base, 9.5 in high, 5.25 in wide

Material

Classic calfskin; herringbone cotton canvas lining on current examples

Hardware

Palladium-finish metal; embossed Anagram

Strap

Detachable and adjustable, 90-105 cm long, 49-57 cm drop; 10 cm handle drop

Pockets

One exterior zip pocket, two interior slip pockets

Made in

Spain

Production quantity

Not published; a continuous production model since 2016

Timeline

1. 1846

   Loewe begins in Madrid as a group of leather artisans.

2. 1872

   Enrique Loewe y Roessberg brings the workshop under his name.

3. 1905

   King Alfonso XIII names Loewe a purveyor to the Royal Court.

4. 1996

   LVMH becomes the sole owner of Loewe.

5. 2008

   Jonathan Anderson founds the JW Anderson label.

6. Sep 2013

   Anderson is named creative director of Loewe.

7. 2015

   The Puzzle bag, Anderson's first major Loewe bag, is introduced.

8. 2016

   The Hammock debuts in the Spring/Summer 2016 ready-to-wear collection.

9. Mar 2022

   The Hammock Nugget, a reworked one-size version, arrives for Spring 2022 at $2,600.

10. Dec 2024

    New variations including the Compact Hammock and the Hammock Slice are in the lineup.

11. Mar 17, 2025

    Anderson leaves Loewe after 11 years.

12. 2025

    Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez become creative directors of Loewe.

13. Oct 2026

    The Small Hammock in classic calfskin, Tan, is listed at $3,250 at Loewe in the U.S.

The world in 2016

• Jan 28, 2016

  The World Health Organization announces an outbreak of the Zika virus.

• Apr 3, 2016

  The Panama Papers are published.

• Jun 23, 2016

  The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.

• Jul 6, 2016

  Pokemon Go is released and breaks sales records.

• Aug 5, 2016

  The Summer Olympics open in Rio de Janeiro, the first Games in South America.

• Nov 2, 2016

  The Chicago Cubs win the World Series for the first time since 1908.

• Nov 8, 2016

  Donald Trump is elected president of the United States.

Price record

This is an asking price, not a sale. It is what a seller wanted on the date shown. Asking prices often sit above what buyers pay, but an ask is not a ceiling: a sale can land on either side of it. It is not a value.

By reference price, Loewe Hammock Small is number 94 of 100 in the handbags entries of the FLOAT 100. 19 of those 100 rest on a realized sale; the rest carry an asking price or a guide value, and each page says which. Rank within the FLOAT 100 itself (82 here) is editorial: how much an object defines its field, not price alone.

Did you know

• Two of the Hammock's sides are structured and two are soft, which is what lets it change shape.
• The Hammock arrived one year after the Puzzle, which was described as Loewe's first new bag shape since the 1980s.
• Loewe was a purveyor to the Spanish Royal Court from 1905.
• The Spring 2022 Hammock Nugget closes when its two top handles are interlaced.
• Hammock editions have been made with the Studio Ghibli film Howl's Moving Castle.
• Jonathan Anderson was still in his 20s when he was named creative director of Loewe in 2013.