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Instantly recognisable yet almost entirely logo-less, when you think ‘Longchamp’, you probably think foldaway canvas tote Le Pliage. And rightly so… Few brands have been able to create a piece so ubiquitous – that hold such prestige – they are span decades of reinterpretation within a Maison.
It was an accessory that epitomised Noughties fashion, and has even found few fair amongst Gen Zs in recent years (fashion search engine The Lyst Index cited the bag as the ninth hottest item in Q2, 2023). The success of that classic French collection from over 30 years ago has a storied place in the fashion accessories universe, and has cemented Longchamp as a household name in the sartorial world. Le Pliage kind of serves as the backbone of Longhamp. It is at the heart of every designer collaboration, limited edition capsule collection, and heritage prose written about the Maison.
And even though we’re just talking about the success of one cult classic bag, the Longhamp brand boasts consistent growth year on year, which is no mean feat in this rapidly changing fashion industry. Since its establishment in 1948, four generations have operated the business. Jean Cassegrain founded the brand as a simple leather goods company 70-plus years ago, as a pivot from his father’s traditional tobacco business. He named his new line of products after the horse racetrack in Paris, which inspired the signature horse motif. Fast-forward to 2025, and Sophie Delafontaine (SD) – the daughter of Philippe Cassegrain, son of Longchamp’s founder – now serves as the iconic brand’s Creative Director.
Here, in an exclusive sit down with GRAZIA, Sophie provides insight into her vision for the future, her inspirations from the Middle East, and the upswings and challenges of modernizing what – for most intents and purposes – is a true legacy brand…
GRAZIA: Much has been written online, and in just about every magazine, about Longchamp’s storied trajectory and success in the fashion world. But as the granddaughter of the founder of the brand, we’d love to hear it in your own words…
SD: It’s an unusual story because we are an independent family business. My grandfather founded the company in 1948. He owned a tobacco store in Paris, so he started working with leather because he had a lot of leftover stocks of pipe in wood. He decided to cover it with leather and that’s how his first collection started, but then my father really developed a lot of the company. My grandfather and my father both had a very vision, a very international vision from the beginning. My father was 16 years old, and he began travelling the world selling the little products made from the tobacco shop. Eventually, in the ‘70s, he began developing ladies’ bags. Then I joined the company in 1995 and tried to bring a little bit more fashion into the brand. My father brought the functionality, and I brought the femininity and sartorial spirit. Now, even my daughter Juliet works at the company. We have developed into a full lifestyle brand with all the categories.
GRAZIA: Do you have a woman in mind when you are designing new pieces?
SD: Not really because I am constantly surrounded by so many inspirational PArisian women, but if I had to paint a portrait of the Longchamp woman, she is active, independent, and full of character and confidence.
GRAZIA: We celebrated the brand over a beautiful Longchamp dinner in Dubai last night. What is it about the Middle East that inspires you?
SD: It’s the energy that we can feel in the city. For me, this is very important because we are an old company with a lot of tradition, so I constantly try and bring new energy, colours, and attitude to the brand. This region feels very alive, which I really love. The women here are very confident.
GRAZIA: How is the brand performing in the Middle East? Who is your regional consumer here?
SD: Longchamp is performing spectacularly. There’s been a huge resurgence in the last two years, especially in the UAE, Saudi and Kuwait. It’s super interesting because 90% of our customer base are Emirati – you would think it could possibly be tourists visiting Dubai Mall, but they are young Emirati women.
GRAZIA: How do you marry the traditionalism of the brand with modern day trends, whilst keeping the authenticity of Longchamp?
SD: We don’t really follow trends. We will always remain authentic because we are a family-owned company. We have our own factories, and our own workshop, so we maintain the really high level of quality product. We are also very focused on CSR commitments, because sustainability is really important to me. We use only recycled polyamide, we try to avoid the transportation for the product with flight; we try to transport by boat, and we work only with LWJ certified tanneries. We try to work in a way that really shows what the brand is all about and who we are.
GRAZIA: As Creative Director, do you feel the pressure to reinvent the wheel and launch something as iconic as La Plaige?
SD: La Pliage is the most iconic bag we carry. It attracts every generation because it’s so universal. It appeals to everyone. I don’t feel the pressure to create something new that is as iconic as La Pliage. My father created it, so I really see it as a gift. My biggest concern is to maintain its level of appeal and desirability. Every season I redesign it, I redo it into new shapes, sizes, materials, leathers – that’s why it has stayed so long.
GRAZIA: Any key pieces from SS25 that we should look out for?
SD: This collection was really about going back to your roots, back to the earth, to the countryside, to nature. So I have played with the colours of the vegetable garden throughout. In the next collection, we have our iconic Roseau, which I have launched in a new leather – it’s a very smooth leather that’s a little bit shiny, but has almost a satin finish with pale gold accessories. It’s very refined, delicate, feminine, and soft, and is a real hero piece from the collection.
GRAZIA: The Longchamp Instagram is looking very pink at the moment… why did you decide to inject so much of this colour into your spring collection?
SD: When I was thinking about spring and the festive season, I didn’t want to do a traditional black and white. I wanted it to be optimistic, fresh, joyful, playful – so I thought of the colour pink. I wanted to use it not in a romantic way, but in a bold way. I wanted to remind women that fashion is here to be fun, playful, and for us to enjoy life.
