Longchamp explores ‘intersection of fashion and art’ in latest collections

MANILA, Philippines — For its successive collections, Longchamp took an imaginative trip to Italy then came immediately back to its roots.

In a cheeky collaboration, the French brand teamed up with the Italian creative studio and image-based magazine Toiletpaper, led by contemporary artist Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari. The groundbreaking duo are known for “conjuring pop-culture inspired parallel universes of edgy, supersaturated, hyperreal visuals.”

The Longchamp x Toiletpaper collaboration is cheeky, lively and mischievous. Longchamp’s Le Pliage, the iconic foldable bag, was reimagined by the Italian duo by playing with recognizable Gallic symbols such as the baguette and the French bulldog, and Longchamp motifs like the sprinting horse logo and the leather pipe.

The collection, which was unveiled at Rustan’s at Shang Mall in Mandaluyong City, is in a vibrant color palette of candy-pink, sky-blue, and sunshine-yellow. The quirky images, which were photographed in the Toiletpaper studio in Milan in March 2023, reproduced on the recycled polyester canvas Le Pliage travel bag, handbag, tote bag, and pouch.

“We try to invent, to make life not boring,” Cattelan said in a statement, with Ferrari adding: “We try to use the codes of the contemporary moment, which helps us to surprise people. We want to help them see what is surrounding them from a different perspective. For this collaboration with Longchamp, we wanted to play with the codes of French icons and of the Maison so that they became alive again. Each image can be seen from multiple different points of view – there isn’t just one message.”

Today, the Le Maison is in the hands of the third-generation members of the founding Cassegrain family: Jean is the CEO, Sophie Delafontaine is the creative director, and Olivier leads the brand’s development of boutiques in America.

“At Longchamp, we are always inspired by the intersection of fashion and art. We were really enthused by Toiletpaper’s unique way of combining art, fashion, and pop-culture references with a dose of humor. We felt their bold aesthetic and lighthearted approach to life tallied with our colorful vision of optimistic luxury,” Sophie Delafontaine declared in a statement.

The Fall/Winter 2023 Collection, meanwhile, is inspired by the colorful and graphic universe of horse racing featuring iconic bags and a ready-to-wear line with a chic, colorful and sporty character.

“It’s fascinating to work with all the characters who bring a racecourse to life,” stated creative director Sophie Delafontaine. “Of course, the horse and jockey pairing has a very special place in my heart – it is the entire history of our Maison that I am revisiting with this collection.”

Some throwback: when Delafontaine’s grandfather, Jean Cassegrain, founded the leather goods house, he had the inspired idea to link the family name (which means to mill grain in French) to that of the Longchamp racecourse, where the oldest mill in Paris is located.

So for its current collection, Longchamp decided to evoke the casual chic spirit of equestrianism. There are dresses and blouses in silk and cotton with a black and white checkerboard patterns, knit cashmere pullovers emblazoned with horses and riders, and bomber jackets with bold diagonal stripes.

Wearing the outfits is like spending a day at the races, as the brand envisions. For example, Look 13 is composed of a jacket in Grenadine, Polo neck sweater in Mahogany, Thin turtleneck sweater in Cobalt/Red, Skirt in Mahogany, Box-Trot XS leather Crossbody bag in Mahogany, and Le Pliage baroudeuse leather boots in Tobacco.

Look 23 is an ensemble of a black cap, ecru skirt, Le Foulonné Shoulder strap in Black/White Leather, Le Foulonné leather phone case in plum, and Le Pliage baroudeuse black leather boots.

“I love the concept of layering, since it lets you create the cozy, cocooning feel you need in winter,” Delafonatine explained, “while still looking chic and casual. ”

Longchamp is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Cebu, Greenbelt 5 and rustans.com.