Effortless elegance

The CEO of French label Longchamp talks to Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan about the brand’s expansion, making practical bags and working with his siblings

THE first time I met Jean Cassegrain, the chief executive of French leather house Longchamp, was when the brand opened its global store in Regent Street, London in 2014.

Longchamp was undergoing aggressive expansion back then, introducing its ready-to-wear and shoes, and amping up its collection of leather goods.

I met him again last month at the brand’s new store in Suria KLCC.

Cassegrain, named after his grandfather who founded the business, was doing his Asian business tour of Tokyo, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

The expansion plan is going full steam ahead, especially in Asia. In Tokyo, the brand recently opened The Longchamp Tower, a three-storey retail store in Omotesando, which also houses its Japan office.

In Singapore, the Paragon store has expanded and in Kuala Lumpur, the Suria KLCC store is the third store after Pavilion and The Gardens.

“Southeast Asian countries are dynamic and vibrant and we have a connection with the customers here,” he tells me over Evian and macarons.

“These are strong countries for us because the consumers here understand our idea of effortless elegance and practicality,” he says.

REASONS TO LOVE

There are a million reasons to love Longchamp, and as a customer and someone who helps buys bags for friends and family every time I visit Paris, it’s not hard to see why.

Its leather bags are lighter than most in the market and have the most beautiful slouch and patina after you have used them for a long time. The bags are lined with fabric which not only reduces their weight but makes it easy to clean in case you spill something inside.

The handles are sturdy. I have had my leather Le Pliage for years and it’s my t r u s t e d companion for travel. No matter how much I stash inside, the handles never give way.

“That’s how we construct our bags. Our designs take into account the lifestyle of women. The bags are not meant to be kept in glass cupboards,” Cassegrain says.

“What’s the point of designing a bag that’s beautiful but is already heavy before you put anything in it?” he asks.

Cassegrain says every creation by Longchamp has to meet usefulness, functionality and aesthetics standards.

“That’s what’s interesting about this business. Every aspect has to come in place and that’s something that we do well.”

IN THE FAMILY

Longchamp is owned and run by the Cassegrain family. Jean’s brother oversees the American market and his sister is the creative director of the brand.

There is a lot of stability, he says, in working with family.

“Customers want to know what’s behind the products and I think knowing that the brand is run by a family seals their trust in us. The history of our family is inextricably linked to the brand and that makes Longchamp special.”

Jean is the third generation to be involved in the business. He says the brand has been part of him since childhood.

“There is a lot of trust among us. As children, our apartment and the office was in the same building so there was a blurred line between company and family,” he says.

“We try to avoid discussing business during family dinners but that doesn’t always succeed. And understandably, the in-laws can find our discussions overwhelming sometimes,” he says.

MEN’S UNIVERSE

In rue St Honore, Paris, where the main Longchamp store is located, the company has made the building opposite it as its men’s store. It’s the only Longchamp men’s store in the world.

Elsewhere in boutiques, a special area is

The new Longchamp store in Suria KLCC; The Longchamp Mademoiselle matches practicality and style; The Longchamp Mademoiselle is the brand’s latest bag which it hopes will be a classic one day.

dedicated to men’s leather goods, a segment Longchamp is building. “I think men’s is a smaller market but they are ready for something different.”

“Men used to look at bags as purely functional but these days, they look for aesthetics and see how a carrier enhances their look,” he says.

Like a typical conventional male, Jean too wants familiarity in what he uses. He may change his bags — after all, it’s his job to be seen in them — but he has one trusted wallet that he has used for years.

And because the same design won’t be reproduced he had the workshop make him five of the same so he can change to a new one when the old one wears out.

“Most men are like me. When they shop, they want what they have bought before,” he says.

I beg to differ. Most men aren’t like him. They don’t have a huge brand at their disposal to make their favourite wallets when their current ones wear out. But when you head a brand with beautiful leather craftsmanship, that is one job perk that you cherish.