Little secret Theresa May shares with Kate Moss
And Kate Middleton’s in on it, too!
WHEN Theresa may went to church at the weekend, for once her footwear wasn’t what caught the eye.
The Prime minister was carrying a £60 backpack from French handbag brand Longchamp — a fashion statement so quiet it might have been whispering.
A sensible bag in navy blue, there was not a smidgen of ostentation about it. And yet this nylon holdall has a pedigree any spangled, ostrich-leather clutch might be proud of.
Longchamp is a firm favourite with all sorts of women — from heads of state including mrs may and German Chancellor Angela merkel, to the Duchess of Cambridge and fashion royalty such as Kate moss.
And the bags are as popular with the rest of us: for more than two decades, the Le Pliage range has been a bestseller.
So, what is the secret of its universal appeal?
HORSEY BRAND WORTH £1 BILLION
LIKE most things effortlessly stylish, Longchamp is French. named after the race track in Paris — hence the brand’s logo, a jockey on a galloping horse — it is owned and run by the family of founder Jean Cassegrain.
He started in 1948 selling leathercovered smoking pipes.
His son Philippe is the firm’s president, his grandson, another Jean, is the Ceo and his granddaughter Sophie Delafontaine is artistic director.
The brand introduced a range of bags and luggage in 1971, but much of its fame, as well as the sales boom that led to its recent valuation at $1.5 billion (£1.14 billion) by Forbes, stems from the invention of the Le Pliage tote in 1993.
The lightweight folding bags were at once iconic and iconoclastic, combining classic French design with a nylon body instead of the usual leather.
This innovation made them tremendously lightweight, durable and strong.
And, of course, far more affordable than competitors such as ultraluxury brand Hermes, which also features a horsey logo, but its bags sell for many thousands of pounds.
EFFORTLESS STYLE — JUST LIKE ITS FANS
THE first Le Pliage (which means ‘folding’ in French) was created by Philippe Cassegrain.
The origami-like tote transforms from the size of an envelope into a large bag with an internal pocket and high-quality leather handles.
Its simplicity was an instant hit with fashion editors in Paris. By 2008, Longchamp was making 2.5 million a year and more than 32 million have been sold in total.
The company has kept customers coming back for more by introducing different shapes and styles and collaborating with celebrities including Kate moss and London designer mary Katrantzou.
But the brand’s ethos remains virtually unchanged. Ceo Jean Cassegrain recently said: ‘our strategy is to keep in mind our first customer: the Parisian woman.
‘French women are known for their effortless elegance, dynamism and optimistic take on life. our approach to luxury — like theirs — is casual, effortless, optimistic.’
BRIGHT, FUN BUT NEVER FLASHY
THE tote bag that started it all — and which is instantly recognisable on so many celebrity arms — is just a small part of what Longchamp produces. The growing Le Pliage range includes travel bags, backpacks (as carried by mrs may), document folders and coin purses.
For £95 you can design your own bag, choosing colours, handles, straps and linings, as well as the option to add text or initials. The bags come in more than 150 colours and prints.
In 2012, Longchamp launched Le Pliage Cuir (from £300) in soft leather and Le Pliage Heritage (from £385), which has the familiar shape of the tote, but doesn’t fold.
Its high fashion range, often carried by Hollywood A- listers, is gaining popularity, too.
The season’s must-haves are the Roseau reversible range and the Penelope tote — but sadly they aren’t as purse-friendly as their nylon counterparts, with prices starting from £200 for the smallest bags. Still, Jean Cassegrain says Longchamp aims not to be ‘too flashy’, adding: ‘We are more affordable than a lot of big european names and we try to be bright, colourful and fun.’
A WORK OF ART . . . AND CRAFT
STAYING true to its roots, 85 per cent of Longchamp’s goods are made in the west of France.
‘It’s part of our DNA to be French manufacturers,’ says Jean. ‘nowadays every single fashion brand sells handbags, but very few actually make them.
‘The fact that we are manufacturers is important: it gives authenticity to the product.’
They are opening more bricks and mortar stores, too — and are seeing a steady annual growth in sales.
experts say Longchamp is playing the long game to make it as a standalone family business in a global industry increasingly dominated by huge conglomerates such as LVMH, the owner of brands including Celine, Fendi, marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton.
Longchamp has also avoided the tricks some labels play to increase demand, such as whacking up the price to ridiculous levels or pointlessly creating a waiting list that makes it impossible to get your hands on must-haves.
FROM MARY BERRY TO LINGERIE MODELS
WHO are Longchamp’s customers? The simple answer is, everyone.
Why? Well, consider Theresa may. Handbags are tricky for female politicians.
So often, any bag that a style editor recognises comes with a price tag so high it could lead to accusations of being out of touch.
Her backpack is an excellent solution. It’s affordable, fades into the background and yet it’s an assertion that she cares about how she looks — and knows a fair bit about fashion.
on the other side of the Atlantic, actresses Katie Holmes, Amy Adams and January Jones are fans. It’s probably no coincidence these A-listers are all busy mothers, too.
Here, the Duchess of Cambridge has been spotted with everything from the small shopper to the overnight travel bag. Her sister Pippa takes one everywhere, too.
At 81, Bake off star mary Berry carries hers with grace and style, as do twenty- something Victoria’s Secret lingerie models Karlie Kloss and Gigi Hadid.
Adventurer Bear Grylls was seen lugging Longchamp’s largest travel bag through an airport.
Supermodel Kate moss was the face of the brand for eight seasons (no mean feat in the fickle world of fashion) and designed a collection for them.
Since 2013, in demand model Alexa Chung has been their official muse. oh, and every well-dressed woman in Paris has one, too.
SOMETHING FOR THE GENTLEMEN
LONGCHAMP continues to expand — the first ready-to-wear clothing collection was in 2006 and it introduced footwear in 2007.
For autumn/winter 2016, it has produced a fun collection that includes a long-line reversible bomber jacket which can be worn as a jacket or a dress — fashionable and practical.
The artistic director Sophie Delafontaine was adventurous with the prints and textures and the collection includes a blue, black and grey leopard print coat and chevron skirts made up of suede, fur and shearling.
Going back to its masculine roots, the first men’s store is set to open in october opposite the Longchamp flagship on Rue Saint-Honore in Paris.
But the brand’s core customers won’t be forgotten. Delafontaine says: ‘ everybody is doing readyto-wear: we wanted to contrast. For us, ready-to-wear is only an accessory to the handbags.’