Founded in 1948, Longchamp has established itself in the dressings thanks to its timeless leather bags and its famous collection Le Pliage, which is experiencing a renewed interest this season from the GenZ. Praised for its expertise, the House continues to embody a certain excellence in French leather goods.
Longchamp is above all the story of an enthusiast. In 1948, after taking over the luxury tobacco shop founded by his parents, Jean Cassegrain is destined for another adventure: leather goods. He then created a line of leather-wrapped pipes, like a second skin, made from lizard and crocodile skins, which he presented at the Paris Fair the same year, but also cigarette cases or for passports. The mantra? Combining innovation and quality: a winning combination even today for its leather bag collections.
France in all its splendor
Jean Cassegrain certainly surrounds himself with the best craftsmen but also with his family, who have been perpetuating the know-how for four generations. His son, Philippe, grows up in the workshops and is imbued with the aura of the House rooted in the Parisian heritage. Its name and logo, a horse launched at a gallop, are also inspired by the racecourse of Longchamp. In the 50s, Philippe is encouraged to discover the world by his father, who aims to develop the brand abroad and charges his son with this new expansion strategy.
Longchamp set up in 1961 in the Orly Sud airport, where international stars and world travelers pass in search of high-end products Made in France. Today, the brand has six production sites, for a total of 25 workshops, in the West of France, with more than 800 people who are busy creating the Longchamp collections. Two factories abroad, in Tunisia and Mauritius, reinforce the brand’s network, as well as a few partner factories in Morocco, Romania and China.
Iconic bags with artisanal expertise
On both sides of the globe, people are rushing to seize the handbags of the House, launched in 1971 with the line LM – Longchamp Maroquinerie, which thus knows a great success in Japan. If the brand differentiates itself by collaborations, the great turning point of its history occurs in 1993. This year marks the arrival of the Pliage bag, a light, functional and solid piece, perfect for women’s daily life. In parallel, the bag Le Roseau, a leather bag with a jewel closure, consolidates the notoriety of the House in the sphere of quality leather goods. Once again, the craftsmanship of leather is at the heart of the collections. And in this search for innovation, Longchamp adapts to the trends of the market, for example by replacing synthetic fibers with recycled fibers in its Le Pliage ranges.
In the 2000s, Longchamp bags quickly seduced celebrities, like Kate Moss, Kate Middleton or even Alexa Chung. But from chic streets to public high schools, all girls and women adopt them too. In recent years, these models have experienced an impressive resurgence of interest driven by the GenZ. Incarnation of Quiet Luxury, Old Money and Y2K, the Pliage bag rose to the top of the ranking of the most sought-after pieces on the Lyst platform over several months in 2024. It is also the best-selling bag of the moment on Vinted and generates thousands of videos on TikTok, inspired by the it-girls most scrutinized by the fashion planet like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Suri Cruise.
Folding, Net Folding, Reed, Foulonné, Epure, Box-Trot… Longchamp has not finished seducing customers from the early days and younger generations in search of historic, timeless and resilient brands. In short: iconic. It is certain that the House still has beautiful days ahead.
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Featured photo : © Longchamp
