Before one dives into the history of Loewe handbags, one must first understand how the Spanish heritage brand wound up with a very German name. (We know you know, but in case you don’t, the e’s are both hard and the w is pronounced like a v.) A member of LVMH’s impressive roster of luxury brands, Loewe is, in fact, the oldest of them all. Founded in 1846, the label began as a collective of artisans crafting leather and suede goods in a workshop on Madrid’s Lobo Street.

Spain has a long history of leather-making, dating past even the work of the Moors in southern Spain in the 8th century when Cordovan horse leather was highly sought and prized. But it was only after an immigrant applied a bit of Germanic business pragmatism to the Spanish artisan collective that the group became a brand. The year was 1872 when Enrique Loewe Roessberg gave his name (which translates to “lion”) to the label. By 1905, Loewe had earned the privilege of being an “official supplier to the Spanish Royal Crown.”

The brand maintained its status as a luxury leather maker, and by the middle of the century, Loewe bags could be seen on the likes of Ava Gardner during a visit to Spain with her then-husband Frank Sinatra. In 1965, Loewe introduced its first ready-to-wear collection, and five years later, the brand enlisted Spanish artist Vicente Vela to develop a logo-the famed anagram of four scrolling L’s still in use today. Along the way, Karl Lagerfeld spent time at the label, as did Giorgio Armani and Laura Biagiotti.

But Loewe It bags-fixtures on the arms of It girls and boys the world over-have had much do with LVMH, which acquired Loewe in 1996. Narciso Rodriguez, José Enrique Oña Selfa, and Stuart Vevers all took turns as the brand’s creative director, but it wasn’t until a then-29-year old Jonathan Anderson joined the brand in 2013 that Loewe bags really became iconic.

Anderson gave us the Puzzle bag, the Gate bag, and a celebrated high-fashion appropriation of the humble market tote. The look of all these accessories upholds the historic brand’s dedication to craft above all else. Sure, they can come shaped like an elephant, but the quality of the leather is unmatched. Determinedly untrendy, Loewe handbags are meant to be carried indefinitely, and below, we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable.

Amazona

Though its two top handles and elegantly rectangular frame are reminiscent of a doctor’s bag, the Amazona was envisioned as an accessory to accompany the burgeoning female workforce to the office in the 1970s. (Its simple construction is designed both to exhibit the materials and craftsmanship of the bag and to reiterate that the Loewe woman meant business.) In the corner of the bag, you’ll find an embossed Loewe logo, plus a fully functioning mini-padlock and key. To celebrate the 175th anniversary of the fashion house, Anderson launched a campaign lensed by Juergen Teller and featuring Gillian Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Nabhaan Rizwan, Liu Wen, and others, all carrying the beautifully boxy Amazona in nappa calfskin or monogrammed canvas.

Puzzle

Just about a year into his appointment, Anderson added a significant handbag to the Loewe repertoire, one that gave the skills of the label’s craftspeople an especially fine showcase. Enter the Puzzle bag, which was first seen at the men’s spring 2015 show in Paris; at Anderson’s Loewe, handbags are for everyone. Like all Loewe bags, the Puzzle is handcrafted in Madrid, with approximately nine pieces of leather precisely patchworked together. (The process takes an estimated nine hours.) Available in calfskin, pebbled calfskin, and goatskin in regular, small, mini, and nano sizes, the bag didn’t take long before turning up on all the chicest influencers and culture-makers; head to a fashion show, gallery opening, or in-the-know cocktail party, and you’re bound to spot a piece of the Puzzle.

Gate

On the models that walked down Loewe’s spring 2018 runway were saddle-shaped handbags seemingly headed straight for It-bag status. Dubbed the Gate because a metallic hinge keeps the leather latch in place, the bag is beloved for its quiet brilliance. It’s no look-at-me bag-and that’s exactly by design.

Basket

This utterly irresistible addition to the Loewe oeuvre debuted at the spring 2017 womenswear show, and the world hasn’t been the same since. Anderson gave us an elevated take on the humble woven palm-leaf market bag, and had the tact to price it accordingly. That’s not to say that the bag doesn’t follow Anderson’s craft-is-cool M.O.; it’s handwoven in Spain and uses the label’s fine leather as trim. Yet the real beauty of this bag lies in its embrace of good design-if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and that’s precisely what Anderson did (or, rather, didn’t do). There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here; Loewe’s basket bag does everything it should, and best of all, it comes in a variety of colors and sizes, so there is absolutely no reason not to wear it all year round.

Because of the bag’s unbridled popularity, it’s a fashion fact that you’re never too far away from your next encounter with a Loewe Basket bag-and unlike other It items, this only makes the bag that much more great.