It's in the bag

SURELY ONE OF the most successful bags in the world with more than 32 million sold since 1993, Longchamp’s Le Pliage marks its 20th year anniversary this year with new high-end stores and profits that continue to soar.
Inspired by origami, Le Pliage, which is manufactured in an ultra-light, strong and colourful nylon canvas trimmed with Russian leather and folds down to the size of a paperback book, has become a universal accessory. But it’s not just about elegance and functionality; there are several key principles that have contributed to the bag’s success, says Jean Cassegrain, Longchamp chief executive and grandson of the house’s founder.
Speaking during a recent visit Bangkok to ink a deal with PP Group, the brand’s distributor in Thailand, Cassegrain compares the family company to a marathon runner. “We don’t make big announcements but we grow quietly, reliably and steadily,” he says.
The extraordinary story of this world-renowned French luxury leather goods firm began in 1948 in a Paris tobacco store in post-war Paris.
“Smoking a pipe was very fashionable at that time and to give it a luxury touch, my grandfather Jean created a leather-covered pipe, which became very successful especially after Elvis Presley was spotted smoking the Longchamp pipe,” Cassegrain says.
“Because the name Cassegrain was already in use by another company, my grandfather decided to name the brand after the most famous race track in Paris as horse racing accessories are also associated with leather. Leather is casual but at the same time elegant. Our logo shows a horse being ridden.
“He went on to create other leather goods such as cigarette cases, ashtrays, and wallets for men made of lamb leather, as well as travel bags. At first the products were designed for men but in the 1980s my father noted that ladies were now in the purchasing majority and start selling products designed for them. We were one of the first European companies to expand to Asia. My father Philippe went to Japan first and on his return he came with the idea of Le Pliage folded handbag.”
Le Pliage’s simple but unique design was an instant success. Its trapezoidal structure, zip closure, two ears, two handles and flap team up with original new colours each season, as always trimmed with Russian leather. This leather with its distinctive grain reproduces the appearance of the reindeer skins tanned in St Petersburg that were recovered 200 years from the Frau Metta Catharina, a Dutch sailing ship that sank in Plymouth Sound in 1786 on its way from St Petersburg to Genoa.
Special editions, including the Rive Droite Rive Gauche, Le Pliage Losange and Fleur de Palace models, have injected fun prints into the range, while collaborations with leading artists or designers over the years have allowed the creation of unique limited-edition collections, such as those designed by Tracey Emin, Jeremy Scott and Mary Katrantzou.
Le Pliage’s versatility, reliability and quality naturally make it one of the most highly sought-after bags in the world, and it, along with nylon luggage, has contributed to Longchamp’s amazing success. Yet despite the simplicity of Le Pliage, all of Longchamp’s craftsmanship expertise is called upon in the making of bag. The design and creative process are developed in France with the greatest of care. Everything is calculated with the utmost precision, right down to the number of stitches required per centimetre. A series of checks is incorporated with the manufacturing process to ensure that the bag is crafted with extreme care at each step in each workshop.
“As the company grew, we manufactured the goods in the western part of France and developed a real knowhow of producing leather goods. Many of our staff have been with us for more than 30 years. We set up specific workshops to train new people to preserve the knowhow and educate them to continue evolving and making the bag. This is where we differ from other brands. Lots of companies market handbags under their names but very few actually make their own product,” Cassegrain explains.
To celebrate the bag’s 20th anniversary, Longchamp has launched Le Pliage Heritage, a luxurious new version in rigid leather. It may be a tribute bag, but its design elevates it to icon status in its own right. It borrows the original Le Pliage bag’s trapezoidal structure, reinterpreted in firm cross-grain leather in a graphic version balanced with minimalist details: Le Pliage’s iconic flap transforms into an elegant trompe-l’oeil design, contrasting trims highlight the raw edges and the Longchamp signature in pale gold adds the finishing touch to this new must-have aura of refined luxury.
In wrapping a full year of celebration, Longchamp has also collaborated with British-American artist Sarah Morris for a new range of Le Pliage bags that are available this month. The collection comprises a colourful limited edition Le Pliage bag, inspired by one of the artist’s paintings from the Rio series. This leather shopper, produced in just 125 examples, was created in a specific shape, a square, evoking the canvases that Sarah Morris normally uses for her creations. This bag is crafted in smooth and sumptuous calfskin, which is extremely supple, allowing it to be folded. All examples are signed by the artist. Le Pliage Eclipse meanwhile is a redesigned in white, reproducing an extract from the painting “Total Annual Solar Eclipse”.
“We love Morris’ work and we felt that her art was very much in line with the spirit of Le Pliage, which is based on colours. She is also good with simple geometrics, which are perfectly in line with our concept. I think the success of this bag is simplicity. Simplicity is difficult thing to do,” he notes.
The turnover of the house, which recently launched ready-to-wear and footwear lines, is expected to exceed 500 million euros this year. Longchamp has acquired new flagship stores in recent years with spacious boutiques in London. The latest opening on the Champs Elysees in the heart of Paris is highly symbolic and will allow Longchamp to make its mark on the French and international market.
“We are extremely proud of the success of the Le Pliage bag, which combines the best that our house has to offer – French know-how, quality, modernity, style and elegance,” says Cassegrain.