AN INGENIOUS COLLABORATION

Longchamp partners up with the jewellery and accessories designer Stéphanie D’heygere to create a collection dedicated to mobility and inclusivity

- MELISSA FOONG

WITH THIS GENDER-NEUTRAL CAPSULE, the iconic Le Pliage inspires an array of ingenious and surprising products which adapt, transform and fold up in an instant, facilitating everyday life and demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.

Who would change a winning team? Certainly not the French leather goods company, which has renewed its collaboration with Stéphanie D’heygere to design a collection that is both wonderfully practical and delightfully playful. Longchamp Creative Director Sophie Delafontaine is a great admirer of the Belgian designer, even stating that she was completely bowled over by her work and the whole universe she created.

“Her designs have a real identity, but also an extremely ingenious dimension that speaks to Longchamp. After our successful debut collaboration on a poncho in 2019, we wanted to take the next step by exploring a greater range of possibilities.” says Delafontaine.

Alongside the creation of iconic bags like the Le Pliage Cuir or Roseau, with Delafontaine’s arrival in the company, Longchamp has evolved into a true Fashion House. Under her creative influence the ready-to-wear, footwear and eyewear lines were born. Longchamp was part of the New York Fashion Week during four seasons from 2018 to 2020. A key source of inspiration has been the dynamism and diversity of the true Parisienne, cultivated, confident, independent and free. A lover of art, Delafontaine relishes Longchamp’s regular collaborations with contemporary artists who, she says, oblige her to have a totally new perspective on the world.