6 Questions with Longchamp’s Philippe Cassegrain
FRENCH FASHION luxury brand Longchamp celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2018. Philippe Cassegrain, son of the founder Jean Cassegrain, witnessed the beginning of Longchamp and has actively participated in developing the brand worldwide.
Unlike many luxury brands which have been swallowed up by conglomerates, the Cassegrain family has maintained Longchamp’s independent family origins. Today it has more than 300 boutiques across 80 countries.
Here Philippe Cassegrain talks about growing up in a family business, going international, and gilding leather cases.
1. Do you remember your father founding the company?
70 years may sound like a long time ago, yet it feels like yesterday. In 1948, my father, Jean Cassegrain, founded Longchamp. I was 11 at the time, and when I didn’t have school on Thursdays, I remember that I would help him by gilding leather cases. A few years later, I started doing some of the deliveries around Paris, before having the chance to travel across the world to meet our customers.
Indeed he did, he had a vision from the start! He even commissioned Turenne Chevallereau to design the brand’s symbol — the Longchamp horse, with its fiery movement. He also created the “Smoke the Longchamp Pipe” advert used during those years, which we had displayed on our Citroën 2CV delivery car. All of Paris could see the symbol of our fiery stallion stretching out like a liana. It was so new! THE VERY POPULAR folding Le Pliage Longchamp (above); Philippe Cassegrain with his siblings and mother some years before his father founded the brain in 1948 (below); and Philippe Cassegrain today (right, seated) with the third generation now working in Longchamp (L-R): and his younger son, Olivier, who leads the brand’s development of American boutiques; his daughter, Sophie Delafontaine, the creative director; and his eldest son, Jean, who is the CEO.
3. Was the company international since the beginning?
Our showroom was located in the heart of Paris, where it received a great amount of exposure. It was situated at Boulevard Poissonnière, in the second arrondissement, and at the foot of the building was the civette. It was the place to be back then! It was a busy shopping area. My father welcomed customers from all over the world, curious to discover the latest novelties and up-and–coming fashion styles. At age 16, my father sent me on a trip around the world with travels across Africa before exploring Asia and the United States.
Upon my return, I officially joined Longchamp and assisted my father in running the business, from creation, manufacturing and marketing to sales development.
3. What does family business means for Longchamp?
Since the very early years all the members of the family contributed: my mother helped my father by hosting customers at the Paris Fair, she ran the boutique and looked after everything