Tim Burton has long been known for the look of his films, and now that eye for design is moving onto leather. In an interview republished this week by Vanity Fair Italia, the director talks about a new Loewe capsule collection built around The Nightmare Before Christmas, and admits that he has always seen himself as something of a frustrated fashion designer.
Halloween Town, rendered in leather
The collection was created with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the designers now leading the Spanish house, and goes on sale on 12 November. According to Loewe’s own announcement, it covers bags, accessories, ready-to-wear, leather goods and scented candles for the holiday season.
The bags are where the film’s characters come through most playfully. Jack’s ghostly dog Zero floats along the side of one handbag, the Harlequin Demon is recreated with feathers and leather scales, and Jack Skellington himself is painted inside a roomy carryall as a hidden surprise for whoever opens it. One woven leather bucket bag in orange and black even has snakes sliding out of the top. Burton says he deliberately let the designers follow their own instincts rather than guarding his characters too closely, because he enjoys seeing things made beautifully by people he respects.
Why handmade still matters
The link between a stop-motion film and a leather-goods house is craft. The story began as a poem Burton wrote in 1982 while working as an animator at Disney, and the 1993 film, directed by Henry Selick, needed 227 puppets and 109,440 individual frames. Burton told Vanity Fair that the spread of artificial intelligence has only made him value the human, tactile side of making things more, and that he wishes everyone could touch the puppets and sets behind a film like this.
The partnership follows Loewe’s earlier capsules inspired by Studio Ghibli films, which were built on the same respect for handwork. It also fits a busy period for Burton outside cinema, including visuals for A$AP Rocky’s album this year.
The idea at the heart of the collection is a simple one that suits any wardrobe: a well-made piece with a little personality lasts far longer than a passing trend. If you like a touch of the theatrical, a structured shoulder bag, an easy crossbody bag or a pair of statement earrings can bring the same spirit to a winter evening out.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia, translated from Vanity Fair US (José Criales-Unzueta, 5 November 2026); Vanity Fair US (4 November 2026); Laughing Place (4 November 2026); Screen Rant; Phantasmag (4 November 2026).
