INGRAINED IN ST YLE

Step back in time and discover Longchamp’s business evolution from luxury pipe to luxe fashion

While most of us are familiar with the racing stallion symbol of the Longchamp brand, how many of us know that the iconic brand’s leathery beginnings started in 1948, selling luxury pipes sheathed in leather catering mainly to men? At the height of when public smoking was the trendy thing to do, founder Jean Cassegrain took a hold of the market and had never looked back since. From the very beginning, Jean Cassegrain embraced his varied clientele, first selling his wares in the heart of Paris even before the ChampsÉlysées existed, up till Longchamp began to travel the continents with their goods, to showcase the elegance of French craftsmanship, recalls his son Philippe. But above all else, the Longchamp brand owes its successes not only to its founder’s innovative mind but to these four words: Creation, quality, work, service. The Cassegrains were the embodiment of a true family business and proved that the business acumen ran in their blood. Dominique, Renée, Philippe, Brigitte and JeanFrançois all helped out as children while their mother helped their father with hosting their customers at the Paris Fair, running their boutique and essentially running the business with him. Although the brand has evolved from selling smoking accessories to fashion accessories instead, Longchamp shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to being stylish. With 70 years under their belt, Longchamp retains that exclusively Parisian flair, only this time the one thing smoking hot will be you.