Longchamp

Longchamp is a fashion handbag brand from Paris, France . It was founded in 1948 by Frenchman Jean Cassegrain . It was first famous for inventing the leather pipe and later entered the field of women's handbags. Its current products include handbags, luggage, shoes, travel goods, accessories and women's ready-to-wear. The most representative handbag is the "Le Pliage" folding bag .

· Brand History ·

The Longchamp brand was founded in 1948 as a tobacco shop by Frenchman Jean Cassegrain. He inherited his father's tobacco business and sold tobacco products to soldiers in the army. Later, he invented the leather pipe, which gradually expanded its popularity.

"Longchamp" was taken from the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France , because there was a mill near the racecourse, and the founder's surname "Cassegrain" means "grinding grain" in French. The galloping rider in the brand logo was also inspired by the racecourse and designed by illustrator Turenne Chevallereau.

Longchamp pipes were once popular all over the world and were loved by American singer Elvis Presley and others. The success of leather pipes convinced Jean Cassegrain that the company's future development direction lies in product diversification. He tried to expand the scope of business and produce small leather goods such as wallets and passport holders. As people's demand for pipes declined, leather goods sales gradually became Longchamp's main business.

In the early 1950s, Jean Cassegrain hired managers responsible for product exports and set about establishing a sales network covering all continents. He and his son Philippe worked together to develop the market. By the 1970s, they had opened stores in Southeast Asia and became one of the first European brands to enter Singapore, Japan and China.

In view of the growing interest of women in handbags, Longchamp launched its first women's handbag in 1971. According to Philippe Cassegrain's recollection, this handbag was based on a cosmetic bag, with a shoulder strap and a flap design, which was an important breakthrough in the company's product history. Seven years later, Longchamp’s first handbag series “Longchamp Maroquinerie” (abbreviated as “LM”) was released in Asia.

Longchamp was the first to replace bulky suitcases with lightweight nylon bags with leather edges. It also invented a handbag called the "Xtra-Bag" that can be folded to a quarter of its original size, laying the foundation for the birth of the Le Pliage series .

Phillip Cassegrain officially inherited the company in 1980 and opened the first handbag store in Paris in the same year. In 1993, Longchamp launched the Le Pliage series for the first time. "Le Pliage" means "folding" in French . The handbag is made of nylon canvas fabric, with a button-type leather flap and double leather handles. It can be easily folded into the size of a book. The inspiration comes from the "origami art" (Origami) that Phillip saw when traveling in Japan .

In order to expand the customer base, Longchamp has successively provided more colors, patterns and material options, increased the styles and types of handbags, and promoted the Le Pliage series to become a classic handbag.

In the 1990s, Longchamp continued to adhere to the route of product diversification, launching gloves, jewelry, ties, clothing and other products. After entering the 21st century, Longchamp has actively participated in art cooperation projects and has launched joint cooperation handbags with many artists and designers, including Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou , British designer Thomas Heatherwick , British artist Tracey Emin , American artist Sarah Morris , etc.

Since 2005, American fashion designer Jeremy Scott has started a long-term collaboration with Longchamp , launching special edition print styles for Le Pliage foldable bags every season, such as "Poodle" in 2007 , "Gold Card" in 2008 , "Pills" in 2011, "Crazy Ball Monster" in 2014 , and "Greetings from Hollywood" in 2015 .

To commemorate the brand's 60th anniversary, Longchamp launched a replica of the LM series in 2008 , presenting the diamond pattern of the time. At the same time, it also invited Belgian artist Jean Luc Moerman to design 60 limited edition LM handbags , reinterpreting the traditional printed leather with modern creativity. With Le Pliage series as the center, Longchamp has launched a variety of derivative series, such as the Le Pliage Cuir series

released in 2012. This handbag is made of soft and durable lambskin and is the first foldable genuine leather bag . To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Le Pliage, Longchamp launched the Le Pliage Héritage series and Le Pliage Néo series in 2014. The former is made of all leather and decorated with metal rings and buttons, showing Longchamp's attention to leather and craftsmanship; the latter retains the original nylon canvas material, and its characteristics are that the handles, flaps, shoulder straps and handbags are the same color, which further reflects the modern style of the city.

In 2018, Le Pliage celebrated its 25th anniversary. Longchamp launched the Le Pliage Club series , with a horse racer pattern embroidered on the upper right corner of the handbag, and the outline is highlighted with colored leather edges. The mixed contrasting color design is introduced, integrating the academic atmosphere and casual style into the classic style.

Currently, the Le Pliage family includes tote bags, backpacks, travel bags, messenger bags, briefcases and other types. The business scope of the Longchamp brand has also expanded to luggage, shoes, travel goods, accessories, women's ready-to-wear and other products.

Longchamp is now run by the 2nd and 3rd generation members of the Cassegrain family: Philippe Cassegrain is president , eldest son Jean Cassegrain is CEO , daughter Sophie Delafontaine is artistic director , and second son Olivier Cassegrain is responsible for the development of the US store.

· Chronology of major events ·