A well-made, handcrafted leather handbag is one of life’s ‘essential’ luxuries. French designer Jean Cassegrain thought so too, forming Longchamp in 1948 to design luxury leather goods, which are now sold in more than 200 boutiques and 2000 department stores around the world.
The Parisian brand also creates bags from nylon fabric, usually trimmed with leather or with leather handles, including the signature Longchamp bag Le Pliage, which was designed by Jean Cassegrain’s son Phillippe in 1993. Its combination of style, elegance and practicality (the name means 'folding' in English, because the tote can be folded down to pocket-size when not in use for easy storage) has made it a best-seller ever since. The design has been adapted to shoulder bags, rucksacks, cosmetics cases and a travel bag in myriad colours and prints. The simple design, subtle branding and easy-to-wear block colours means it's favoured by ladies who prefer their accessories understated, a la Kate Middleton.
in collaboration with Harrods
