Longchamp (company)

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Longchamp

logo
legal form SAS
founding 1948
Seat Paris , France
management Philippe Cassegrain
Number of employees 3000
Branch Luxury goods
Website www.longchamp.com

Longchamp is a French leather goods company founded in Paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain . It is owned and run by the Cassegrain family.

Jean Cassegrain produced the world's first pipes with luxurious leather cases before expanding the business to small leather goods such as wallets, passport cases, etc. Longchamp launched its first women's bag in 1971 and developed into one of the leading French manufacturers of leather goods.

Longchamp is primarily known for leather and canvas handbags , travel items and fashion accessories .

The company is represented in over 80 countries and around 1500 sales outlets, including more than 300 boutiques.

history

1948: Longchamp founded

In 1948, Jean Cassegrain took over the long-established tobacco shop “Au Sultan” in Paris, France .

After the Second World War , Jean Cassegrain supplied the Allied troops with tobacco and smoking equipment. Pipe sales were the most profitable division of the company during this period. Gradually soldiers were among the best customers of the business .

When they left Paris at the end of the conflict, Jean Cassegrain diversified his company . In the 1950s he introduced the world's first pipes with luxurious, exotic leather covers. She was held in high regard by international celebrities like Elvis Presley .

Jean Cassegrain founded his company called 'Jean Cassegrain et compagnie' in order to broaden the distribution of his leather-covered smoking articles. However, the products were marketed under a different name. Since distant relatives were already using the Cassegrain family name to sell fine paper in Paris, he named his brand after the Longchamp racecourse in Paris .

At the time, there was a small flour mill at the end of the home stretch of the racetrack on the outskirts of Paris. Jean Cassegrain named the brand and his company with a lot of humor after the racetrack and its grain mill, as the name 'Cassegrain' literally means 'grain crusher' in French. A jockey on a galloping horse was chosen as the logo.

1950s: from leather-wrapped pipes to leather goods

Longchamp's success with leather-wrapped pipes convinced Cassegrain that the company's future lay in diversifying and expanding the product portfolio to include small leather goods, passport cases, wallets and other leather men's accessories .

In the early 1950s he was already selling on every continent. He hired an export manager and started exporting his products.

Jean and his son Philippe Cassegrain constantly opened up new markets and opportunities for the company. Longchamp opened boutiques in Southeast Asia in the late 1970s and was one of the first European brands available in Singapore , Hong Kong and Japan . Longchamp developed into a global player .

1970s: the first women's bag

Over time, Jean Cassegrain noticed that women became more and more interested in handbags. Longchamp introduced its first women's bag in 1971, a redesigned cosmetic bag with a shoulder strap and two flaps.

The company was the first to make nylon handbags. Philippe Cassegrain designed a line of khaki bags made of nylon and leather in the 1970s. The collection became a worldwide success as an alternative to heavy travel suitcases.

Philippe Cassegrain also invented the Xtra-Bag, a bag that folds to a quarter of its original size and stows in a simple compartment. The Xtra-Bag from 1993 was the predecessor of the Le Pliage bag.

From then on, the company specialized in luggage and women's bags.

In 1978 Longchamp launched the LM line, the first collection for women's bags. The bags were made of printed leather. In the same year, no more smoking paraphernalia were offered in the catalog.

In 1983, Philippe became Longchamp's CEO. He entrusted his wife Michèle with the boutiques division. From 1991 onwards, Philippe and Michèle's eldest son Jean worked at the father's side. Her daughter Sophie was later appointed creative director of the company.

1993: Le Pliage

1993 marks a turning point in the history of Longchamps. In 1993, Longchamps CEO Philippe Cassegrain personally created the company's most famous handbag: Le Pliage, which means 'foldable' in French. Philippe Cassegrain wanted a practical, yet stylish, collapsible bag. Le Pliage is a handbag that can be folded into a characteristic trapezoidal shape similar to an envelope.

To keep the bag as light as possible, Philippe Cassegrain combined handles made of Russian leather with a nylon canvas bag body.

The simple shape of the bag and the wide range of colors and models make it the most successful product of the brand and one of the most famous handbags in the world.

Kate Middleton , Mary Berry, Katie Holmes , Amy Adams , Alexa Chung and Angela Merkel carry Le Pliage handbags. Longchamp is working with artists like Mary Katrantzou , Jeremy Scott and Sarah Morris to reissue the Le Pliage shoulder bags.

Longchamp subsequently became a member of the Colbert Comité .

2000s

Over the years, Longchamp brought out handbags and luggage as well as fashion accessories for women and men, “prêt-à-porter” women’s fashion and a shoe collection.

In 2006 Longchamp expanded into the USA for the first time with a store in New York's SoHo district , and in 2011 the first branch was opened in Asia . This boutique is located in the middle of a luxury goods neighborhood in Hong Kong and is the second largest after the store in New York with a retail space of 400 square meters.

In October 2017, Longchamp opened its largest Asian store in Tokyo on Omotesando Avenue. On 7 floors it shows all collections from travel bags to prêt-à-porter and shoes to leather goods. A mural by the Australian artist John Aslanidis adorns part of the building.

Directors

Longchamp is now run in the 2nd and 3rd generation by direct descendants of the company's founder Jean Cassegrain:

  • Philippe Cassegrain, chairman
  • Jean Cassegrain, General Manager
  • Sophie Delafontaine, creative director
  • Olivier Cassegrain, Head of US Boutiques

The goodwill of Longchamp is estimated at $ 1.5 billion. The independence of the company gives the Cassegrain family stability and allows them a long-term orientation and planning. Longchamp is one of the last French family-owned leather goods manufacturers.

structure

Longchamp products are available in approx. 1,800 stores in approx. 100 countries in their own and franchise boutiques, under contracts with department store chains, in airport boutiques and on the Internet. The group operates 236 sales outlets through 18 sales branches. About a third of its sales are generated in France.

In 1988 Longchamp opened his first own boutique in Paris , 390 Rue Saint-Honoré . In 1999 the Parisian boutique was relocated to 404 Rue Saint-Honoré in order to have a larger retail space.

Longchamp has been sold through retail outlets in the United States since the 1950s. The company opened its first US boutique on Madison Avenue in 1984 . Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom were the first major American retailers for the brand, followed by Bloomingdale's. In 1993, Longchamp opened his own store in New York City to increase sales.

In 2006 the company's flagship store, "La Maison Unique", opened in New York's SoHo district. The brand's largest store was designed by Thomas Heatherwick, who also invented the Zip Bag handbag, one of the company's bestsellers. In 2014 Longchamp had 17 boutiques in North America .

In 2013 Longchamp opened a boutique on Regent Street in London , the company's largest branch in Europe and the world's second largest after New York City .

In 2013, Longchamp invested in logistics to support the company's growth. It built a logistics center on 23,000 m² in Segré, France . The location offers twice the area compared to the previous location .

The brand is represented in 80 countries, including Brazil, Israel, Abu Dhabi, Peru, Chile, Paraguay, Canada, Austria, Macau, Cambodia, Dubai, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia ... Longchamp is planning to expand its network in Middle East with a focus on Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The company also has franchise offices in Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia.

The group runs more than 300 boutiques worldwide and has more than 1,500 sales outlets through 20 sales branches, including retailers, its own boutiques, franchise shops, department store chains, leather goods shops, airport boutiques and online sales.

workshops

In his early days, Jean Cassegrain procured smokers' articles (especially pipes) and had them covered in leather by Parisian craftsmen. The success of the brand and the desire to diversify the range led to the opening of the first Longchamp workshop in Segré, France, in 1959.

The company's production capacity increased regularly in Segré and with new workshops: Rémalard in 1969, Ernée in 1972 and in the 2000s in Combrée , Château-Gontier and Montournais .

In 1982 the Cassegrain family decided to relocate their production activities abroad for cost reasons and set up a plant in Mauritius . In addition, a production partnership with China has existed since 1997 . In 2001, production facilities were set up in Morocco and Tunisia to increase the brand's production capacity.

Longchamp continues to manufacture its products in France. The company has its own workshops, including the largest leather factory in France. The six French factories supply half of all handbags sold by the company, the other half come from partner companies.

Longchamp builds a new production facility in Pouzauges, France . The leather workshops currently located in Montournais will be relocated to this new location. The project is part of the company's plan to expand and modernize its production process. The new, approx. 7000 square meter site offers space for 100 employees (compared to currently 70) and includes a training facility to promote training and the integration of new employees. The new facility is expected to open in 2018.

The company employs a total of more than 3000 employees, 1650 salaried employees and 1500 workers in the manufacture of handbags and accessories.

In September 2018, Longchamp opened its new, 7000 m² production facility in Pouzauges in the Vendée department. His sixth plant in France. A training workshop is integrated into the new plant.

In 2018, half of the brand's production was in France. The company employs 900 people at its locations in the west of France.

In 2018 Longchamp had 1,500 sales outlets worldwide, including 300 stores in its own name. 3200 people work for the brand around the globe.

Design and collaboration with artists

In the 1950s and 1960s, Longchamp products were seen in French cinemas and, in particular, in films with Jean Gabin.

The brand's proximity to art continued in the 1970s with the limited edition handbags and the famous designs by French-Russian artist Serge Mendjisky. In 1971 he applied leather patchwork to the pockets. Longchamp was one of the first leather goods brands to cooperate with famous artists. Since then, the company has worked with numerous other artists on the design of special models and shop fittings.

In 2004 Longchamp secured the services of independent designer Thomas Heatherwick for the first time. Heatherwick designed the bestseller Zip Bag , a handbag around a long zip . The success of the Zip Bag led to the commissioning of Heatherwick to design the Longchamp flagship store in New York City.

In 2004 and 2005, Tracey Emin created personalized luggage for Longchamp. Her Longchamp patchwork bag carried the message 'Me Every Time'.

Kate Moss has been an ambassador for Longchamp since 2005, when she first appeared in the brand's advertising campaigns. A few years later she worked with the company on handbag design.

Jeremy Scott has been regularly responsible for special models of the Le Pliage bag since 2006 . In 2008, Longchamp relaunched its LM collection on the occasion of the company's sixtieth anniversary, but it is only available in Asia and has launched a version designed by Jean-Luc Moerman, among other things.

Since 2006 Longchamp has also offered a shoe collection for women. Kate Moss , has been designing bag models as part of her Kate Moss for Longchamp collection since 2010 . In spring 2012 Longchamp launched a new version of the Le Pliage bag made entirely of leather.

In 2009, Jeremy Scott, Charles Anastase and the designer duo Bless joined forces on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of ANDAM (National Association for the Promotion of Fashion Art), which promotes budding French and international fashion talents. Each designer created limited edition variations for Longchamps Le Pliage.

In 2014 Longchamp worked with artist Sarah Morris on Le Pliage handbags in limited edition.

In April 2016, Longchamp began renovating the historic shop on Paris' Rue Saint-Honoré. During the renovation work, the work of art "Mindscapes" by the American artist Ryan McGinness adorns the shop front.

In 2017 Longchamp signed an agreement with the French-Armenian artist Vahram Muratyan.

In April 2018, Shayne Oliver designed a prêt-à-porter and accessories collection, "Longchamp by Shayne Oliver". The designer is also giving the Le Pliage handbag a new look and creating new models for the brand.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Sabine Nedelchev: Paris Première: Longchamp opens new boutique in Paris . In: Elle . Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Stephan Hilpold: Longchamp boss Cassegrain: "The right bag for everyone" . In: DerStandard.at . June 24, 2015.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Stephan Finsterbusch: The trick with the kink . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . December 26, 2014.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Marie Aucouturier: Longchamp ( French ). Editions de la Martinière, 2008, ISBN 978-2732437767 .
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Pascale Denis: Longchamp prévoit un tassement de ses ventes à cause de l'Europe . In: Challenges . February 6, 2012. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 4, 2012. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.challenges.fr
  6. ↑ a b Racehorses in the warehouse company . In: Logistik Journal . January 1, 2016.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f William Coop: Longchamp mène sa course au triple galop . In: L'Express . November 16, 2004. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Kate Middleton also carries this folding bag . In: Welt.de . December 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ a b c d e f Longchamp, one of the highlights of French leather goods . In: France.fr . Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  10. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Iris Kuhn-Spogat: Longchamp: Between two worlds . In: Balance . November 6, 2009.
  11. ↑ a b Jennifer Wiebking: She chooses France . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . 20th September 2013.
  12. ↑ Travel Tips: The Art of Packing . In: Elle . Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  13. ^ Frédéric Martin-Bernard: Le Pliage de Longchamp: un sac mythique! . In: Marie Claire . March 30, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  14. ↑ a b Lisa Riehl: Jeremy Scott has printed Le Pliage with a new print . In: Harper's Bazaar . December 1, 2016.
  15. ↑ Hello Kitty . In: glamor . Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 12, 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.glamour.de
  16. ↑ a b c Klaus Werle: "When I turn to a woman, usually only because of the handbag" . In: Manager Magazin . April 24, 2015.
  17. ↑ Clark Parkin: Fortunately, Mary Katrantzou doesn't want to go to Paris . In: Welt.de . August 27, 2015.
  18. ↑ a b Juliette Garnier: Les ventes de Longchamp bondissent de 22% . In: La Tribune . February 8, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  19. ↑ Simone Reiner: Longchamp opens seven-story store in Tokyo . In: textile industry . 20th October 2017.
  20. ^ Nicole Stern: Jean Cassegrain: "Men are trapped in habits" . In: The press . 19th June 2015.
  21. ↑ Marion Deslandes: Longchamp attaque 2012 avec confiance . In: Fashion Daily News . February 8, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  22. ↑ Marion Deslandes: Longchamp attaque 2012 avec confiance . In: Fashion Daily News . February 8, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  23. ↑ a b Barbara Kraus: There is a new It-Bag from Longchamp, the Paris Premier . In: Harper's Bazaar . 2006.
  24. ↑ Alan Nagard: Les sacs de luxe Longchamp échappent à la crise . In: Ouest-France . February 14, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  25. ↑ a b Nicole Rütti: How Longchamp prevails against the big luxury companies . In: NZZ . 2018.
  26. ↑ Godfrey Deeny: CEO Jean Cassegrain explains how he wants to make Longchamp a fashion brand . In: Fashion Network . 2018.
  27. ↑ Simone Preuss: Longchamp invests in China . In: Fashion United . 2018.
  28. ↑ Longchamp: Secrets of a Cult Brand . In: Gala . October 24, 2014.
  29. ↑ Sack Von Adriano: Is that art - or can I carry it? . In: Welt.de . 4th May 2016.
  30. ↑ Kate Moss . In: Welt.de . Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  31. ↑ Roxanne Malefant: Jeremy Scott donne un coup de jeune au pliage de Longchamp . In: Elle . October 28, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  32. ↑ Longchamp, 60 years old, ça se fête! . In: Elle . August 1, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  33. ↑ Christa Catharina Müller: Cuckoo! . In: glamor . Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 12, 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.glamour.de
  34. ^ Christiane Marie Jördens: Longchamp and Steffl celebrate Le Pliage . In: Textil Zeitung . October 24, 2014.
  35. ^ Anna Bok: Fashion News: Art to go . In: Harper's Bazaar . 2014.
  36. ↑ Launch of the first independent men's boutique . In: Vienna Live Look . August 30, 2016.
  37. ↑ Christiane Marie Jördens: Longchamp shows Mindscapes facade by Ryan McGinnes . In: Textil Zeitung . April 18, 2016.
  38. ↑ Shayne Oliver has refolded the Le Pliage bag from Longchamp . In: Harper's Bazaar . June 6, 2018.
  39. ↑ Serving Realness: Longchamp by Shayne Oliver . In: Woman . May 8, 2018.
  40. ↑ Icons in a new look . In: Medianet . May 25, 2018.
  41. ↑ Ghetto Gothic meets French elegance: Longchamp By Shayne Oliver . In: Miss magazine .