With its 75-year presence in the fashion scene, the Longchamp brand has grown in exponential ways from its roots in the leather-wrapped pipe.
Behind the veil of its now-ubiquitous stature in handbags is the Cassegrain family, who has upheld French craftsmanship for three generations that transcended beyond Europe. Today, at its helm is CEO and chairman Jean Cassegrain, who, alongside creative director and sister Sophie Delafontaine, has kept Longchamp’s family-run spirit, tinged with a contemporary touch yet traditional foundations.
Along with a catalog that boasts the emblematic Le Pliage and more, Longchamp is bridging Parisian sensibilities onto a global scale. In a brief exclusive interview with Preview, CEO Jean Cassegrain discusses the launch of the Spring/Summer 2024 collection, Korean brand ambassador Kim Sejeong, and what’s in store for Longchamp’s Filipino market.
Preview Exclusive with Longchamp Chairman and CEO Jean Cassegrain
You’ve recently introduced the Longchamp University Spring/Summer 2024 collection, which, according to creative director Sophie, is inspired by the vibrant lives of diverse university students in Paris. How does it reflect the brand while embracing contemporary fashion trends?
“The brand [revolves around] energy, dynamism, movement, and I think you have a lot of that in the universities. This university story is well-aligned with our values because we keep that spirit of the young student, who is discovering the world, happy, and joyful, enjoys going out, communicating, and traveling, and that’s very much us.”
Le Pliage Universite Shoulder Bag L, P15,000, LONGCHAMP, trunc.ph
Le Pliage Xtra Top Handle Bag XS, P35,000, LONGCHAMP, trunc.ph
With Longchamp being an independent, family-run business, what is it like collaborating with Sophie in her role as a creative director especially given your familial ties?
“We collaborate very well. Sophie and I both manage the company together. She's very much into the creative part. She has all the ideas and my job is to tell her if it's a good idea or not–that's how we split the work.”
Korean actress Kim Sejeong recently became a brand ambassador for Longchamp. How does her global appeal align with the brand's vision, particularly in expanding into Asian markets?
“We live in an environment with a lot of brands around us, some of them very big and very powerful. So we must draw the light toward us a little bit. And working with a person like Kim Sejeong who has broad appeal all over the world is a way to attract attention and bring the spotlight.
“This being said, it works only if the person is aligned with the brand values. And I think that Kim Sejeong is very much aligned. Her positive personality, her warmth, and her friendliness are things that are very much part of our brand identity. So even though she's Korean and we are French, she represents the brand values extremely well. She has this energy and positivity about her that are totally what we're trying to express for the brand. It's been a very just association.”
Box-Trot Cross Body Bag M, P48,000, LONGCHAMP, trunc.ph
Longchamp has grown a strong presence in the Philippines when it comes to luxury fashion. How does Longchamp plan to continue engaging Filipino clients?
“We're continuing to renew and improve our network here with the support of Donnie [Tantoco] (President of Rustan Commercial Corporation). We are renovating our stores in Rustan’s Makati, which is currently under renovation and soon coming to Rustan’s in Shangri-La. The store in Greenbelt has just been renovated.
“We keep on upgrading, making sure that we project the right image of the brand. And we have more projects coming, but it's a little early to be too specific about it.”
To you, how does Parisian style appeal to a global audience with diverse tastes and cultures like Filipinos?
“The collection is designed first and foremost with the Parisian girl in mind. But we feel that the Parisian girl can have a global appeal.
“A lot of women around the world see the Parisian girl as someone who is very inspirational because this girl has a unique combination of chic and casualness that is, I think, very desirable for a lot of [people] around the world.”
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