A strange phenomenon has been observable in the world of fashion for a while now: clothes trend when they appear fit for running a marathon, climbing a mountain, or surviving in the desert.

In truth, however, it has no function whatsoever, apart from looking functional.

What sounds absurd at first, of course, fits perfectly with the higher-faster-further lifestyle of almost every city dweller who might sniff nature on vacation, but whose fake performance wear is more of a metaphor for his extreme survival instinct is in the urban shark tank.

Things are different with the joint capsule collection from the Swiss sportswear specialist On and the Spanish luxury house Loewe, which will be launched on the websites of the two labels on Wednesday and will also be available in selected Loewe shops from Thursday: the men's and women's fashion as well as sneakers, the collaboration between the two labels is not only functional - it also comes with the fashion legitimacy of the catwalk.

The fact that On and Loewe have teamed up comes as a surprise at first glance.

Founded in 2010, On became famous for its running shoes.

The company went public last year and is currently expanding globally.

With their "Cyclon" running shoe, they have committed themselves to the circular economy, which the company says is completely recyclable.

The traditional Spanish company Loewe, on the other hand, is known for its craftsmanship and artistic handling of leather.

As part of Paris Fashion Week, Loewe's creative director Jonathan Anderson has just presented a collection for the coming fall that has a touch of surrealism.

Thilo Alex Brunner, Global Head of Design at On, draws attention to the similarities between the two brands: “When you look at Loewe's collections, it's clear that the creative team strives to push boundaries.

We feel the same way.” For On, this is their first collaboration with a luxury house – a partnership they have “waited for for years”.

A cooperation with Loewe makes sense: For Brunner, the boundaries between high-performance and fashion are increasingly blurring anyway.

"A dream came true"

Jonathan Anderson put it similarly to FAZ.NET: “For me, performance and outdoor clothing are so much more than just sport.

It's an idea of ​​how to go out into the world today.” That On and Loewe share “many synergies,” according to Anderson, from ideas to manufacturing to functionality and durability was also key to him.

Both brands had been eyeing each other for a while.

Anderson says about the cooperation: "It was a dream come true."

The liaison resulted in 13 women's and men's sneakers, including On's already established outdoor model "Cloudrock".

This shoe, which is somewhere between a high-top sneaker and a trekking boot, can be worn in the wild just as much as in the city.

Just like the "Cloudventure" low-top sneaker, its upper is made of recycled polyester and On's signature cloud sole.

The capsule collection also includes running trousers, a moisture-repellent waterproof anorak that protects against rain and wind, temperature-regulating T-shirts and a multi-layer unisex parka.

All styles were interpreted by Jonathan Anderson.

They have various patterns, colors and color gradients and are intended to evoke nature and its elements with a palette of nuances of khaki, blue and orange.

The color effects are inspired by the Japanese sashiko, a textile decoration technique that originally used running stitches to mend damaged clothing.

Here the technique was rethought as a print job.

The resulting patterns should remind of a starry night.

When he first thought about this collaboration, Anderson says he was in the process of exploring a number of different craft techniques, most notably Japanese shiburi dyeing from the early 18th and 19th centuries.

"That gave me the idea of ​​arranging simple characters geometrically to create an image of a night sky."

To ensure that the printed color gradients match on all parts of the clothing, they were finished by hand.

Just like the marble effect soles, which makes each shoe unique.

In addition to the use of recycled materials and the technical know-how, the idea of ​​luxury is particularly evident in this approach to the individual pieces.

The merging of the functional and the fashionable world?

The collaboration between On and Loewe shows that it is possible.