Longchamp
French luxury leather-goods house best known for its lightweight, foldable Le Pliage bags.
Last updated August 21, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Longchamp is an independent French leather-goods house founded in Paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain. The business grew out of Cassegrain’s family tobacco shop, Au Sultan, where smoking accessories—especially pipes—were important products in the years after the Second World War. Longchamp initially distinguished itself by covering pipes in leather, including exotic skins, and subsequently broadened its range into wallets, passport covers, small leather goods, luggage and handbags. The brand name refers to the Longchamp racecourse in Paris, and its equestrian jockey emblem became a defining visual element. The company’s major strategic shift occurred during the 1970s. Longchamp experimented with nylon and leather luggage to create lighter alternatives to the heavy suitcases then common in the market. Philippe Cassegrain, Jean’s son, developed folding luggage concepts including the Xtra-Bag, which established the design principles later associated with Le Pliage. Longchamp introduced its first women’s handbag in 1971 and launched the LM women’s collection in 1978. These developments moved the company decisively from smoking accessories toward fashion accessories and travel goods. Le Pliage, introduced in 1993, became the house’s signature product. Designed by Philippe Cassegrain, the bag combines a lightweight nylon canvas body, leather handles and a folding construction that collapses into a compact shape. Its practical format, broad color range, accessible luxury positioning and capacity for seasonal reinterpretation helped make it one of the most recognizable contemporary handbag designs. Longchamp has extended the concept through materials, prints, sizes and collaborations while retaining the basic foldable construction. Today Longchamp designs and sells handbags, luggage, travel articles, small leather goods, shoes, accessories and women’s ready-to-wear. The company remains privately owned and managed by descendants of the founding Cassegrain family. It combines French manufacturing with external specialist production, particularly for footwear and apparel, and maintains workshops in western France. Its international distribution includes company-owned stores, franchises, department stores, airport locations, specialty retailers and digital commerce. The house positions itself between traditional luxury craftsmanship and everyday usability, emphasizing French design, durable materials, portability and a relatively approachable entry point to luxury accessories.
History
Longchamp began in 1948 when Jean Cassegrain took over the Parisian tobacco business Au Sultan. In the postwar period, the shop served Allied troops and developed a strong business in pipes and smoking accessories. Cassegrain’s innovation was to cover pipes with leather, creating a luxury product that could be sold internationally. He established Jean Cassegrain et compagnie to expand distribution, but used the Longchamp name because the Cassegrain name was already associated with another Parisian commercial enterprise. The brand name came from the Longchamp racecourse, while the jockey logo reflected the association with racing and Paris. During the 1950s and 1960s, Longchamp expanded from leather-covered pipes into wallets, passport holders, small accessories and other leather products. The company began exporting early and developed an international outlook. Its first workshop opened in Segré in 1959, followed by additional French production sites as demand increased. Toward the end of the 1970s, the company established an early presence in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. The transition into bags accelerated in the 1970s. Longchamp introduced leather-and-nylon luggage to answer demand for lighter travel products. Philippe Cassegrain developed the foldable Xtra-Bag, a precursor to the company’s later signature tote. The first women’s handbag arrived in 1971 after a toiletry case was adapted with a shoulder strap and flaps. The LM collection followed in 1978, while smoking products were removed from the catalogue that same year. Philippe became chief executive in 1983 and worked with his wife, Michèle, on retail development. Their children later joined the business, continuing family management. In 1993, Philippe Cassegrain designed Le Pliage. The bag’s combination of coated or nylon canvas, leather trim and folding geometry made it light, portable and easy to store. The design became Longchamp’s central commercial and cultural asset. The brand repeatedly refreshed Le Pliage through colors, prints, materials, artists and designers, allowing the core product to function as both an everyday utility and a fashion canvas. Longchamp’s collaborations broadened its visibility. The house worked with Thomas Heatherwick, Tracey Emin, Jeremy Scott, Kate Moss, Mary Katrantzou, Sarah Morris, Vahram Muratyan, Shayne Oliver and Pokémon, among others. It also maintained links with artistic installations and limited-edition design. International retail expanded through proprietary boutiques, department stores, airport shops, franchises and online channels. In 2013, the company opened a larger logistics center in Segré. In 2018, it inaugurated a 7,000-square-meter production site in Pouzauges with a training facility, adding to its network of French workshops. The Cassegrain family continues to manage the privately held company. Longchamp’s manufacturing model combines its own French workshops—where a substantial share of handbags is produced—with specialist partners, particularly for ready-to-wear and shoes. The modern house therefore retains a craft and industrial base in France while operating as a global luxury accessories brand. Recent initiatives have included recycled-nylon products, digital and entertainment collaborations, fashion shows in New York, and expansion into fragrance through a long-term Interparfums license.
- 2025
Interparfums fragrance agreement announced
[1]Longchamp signs an exclusive fragrance license agreement with Interparfums through 2036.
- 2020
Green District launches
[1]Longchamp introduces bags made with Econyl recycled nylon.
- 2018
Pouzauges production site inaugurated
[1]The company opens a new French workshop and attached training facility in Vendée.
- 2013
New logistics center opens in Segré
[1]Longchamp invests in a 23,000-square-meter logistics facility to support international growth.
- 1993
Le Pliage launches
[1]Philippe Cassegrain introduces the foldable nylon-and-leather handbag that becomes Longchamp’s best-known product.
- 1983
Philippe Cassegrain becomes chief executive
[1]The founder’s son takes over executive leadership and advances the family business’s retail development.
- 1978
LM collection introduced
[1]The LM printed-leather line becomes the company’s first dedicated women’s handbag collection.
- 1971
First women’s handbag launches
[1]Longchamp enters women’s handbags by adapting a toiletry-case format with a shoulder strap and flaps.
- 1959
First Longchamp workshop opens in Segré
[1]Longchamp opens its first manufacturing workshop in western France to support product diversification.
- 1950
International expansion begins
[1]The company starts prospecting and selling its leather-covered smoking products internationally.
Products and positioning
Independent French luxury accessories house combining leather craftsmanship, practical design, lightweight materials and fashion-led collaborations.
Handbags and travel bags · 1993
Le Pliage
Longchamp’s signature foldable bag, introduced in 1993. It uses a lightweight textile body with leather handles and trim and folds into a compact trapezoidal form. The line is offered in numerous sizes, colors, prints and seasonal collaborations and has become the brand’s principal global icon.
Handbags
Roseau
A handbag family associated with leather construction and a distinctive bamboo-inspired closure detail. It represents Longchamp’s more structured and dress-oriented side alongside the lighter Le Pliage assortment.
Handbags and leather goods
Penelope
A Longchamp handbag line within the brand’s leather-goods offering, emphasizing refined everyday silhouettes and leather craftsmanship.
Handbags · 1978
LM
Introduced in 1978, LM was Longchamp’s first women’s handbag collection. Its printed leather established a recognizable pattern-led approach that the house later revisited through reissues and artist interpretations.
Sustainable bags · 2020
Green District
A line launched in 2020 using Econyl recycled nylon fiber. It extends Longchamp’s lightweight textile expertise into products marketed around recycled materials.
Foldable luggage and bags
Xtra-Bag
An earlier foldable bag concept developed by Philippe Cassegrain. It could collapse to roughly a quarter of its size and helped establish the folding and portability principles that informed Le Pliage.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Longchamp x Pokémon
Global
A collaboration adapting Le Pliage with Pokémon imagery, including Pikachu and references to Longchamp’s jockey emblem. The partnership also extended into Pokémon Go through virtual avatar accessories.
Outcome. Connected the heritage accessories brand with gaming and popular culture audiences.
- 2018The Encounter
Global
A short film directed by John Christopher Pina featuring Kendall Jenner, who had been named a Longchamp ambassador earlier that year.
Outcome. Used film and celebrity representation to support the house’s global fashion positioning.
Brand decisions
2025
Enter a long-term fragrance licensing agreementStrategyBackground
Longchamp moved to extend its brand into fragrance while remaining privately held and focused on luxury accessories.
Action taken
The company signed an exclusive fragrance license with Interparfums through 2036, with the first launch planned for 2027.
Aftermath
The agreement created a planned fragrance category alongside the established leather-goods, travel and fashion businesses.
2020
Introduce recycled-nylon Green District bagsStrategyBackground
Longchamp sought to apply its established nylon expertise to a more sustainability-oriented product line.
Action taken
The company launched Green District using Econyl recycled nylon fiber.
Aftermath
The initiative expanded the brand’s recycled-material offer without abandoning its lightweight bag positioning.
1993
Create the Le Pliage foldable handbagProduct launchBackground
Longchamp had developed lightweight, foldable nylon-and-leather travel products and sought a practical women’s handbag format.
Action taken
Philippe Cassegrain designed a compact folding tote combining textile lightness with leather handles and trim.
Aftermath
Le Pliage became the company’s most successful and recognizable product and a platform for repeated seasonal collaborations.
Recent events
- 2025
Longchamp signs exclusive fragrance license with Interparfums[1]
M&A · Product launch
Longchamp and Interparfums announced an exclusive fragrance licensing agreement extending through 2036, with an initial fragrance launch planned for 2027.
- 2020
Longchamp launches Green District[1]
Product launch
The Green District line used Econyl recycled nylon and represented a sustainability-oriented extension of the bag assortment.
- 2020
Longchamp launches Pokémon collaboration[1]
Campaign · Product launch
A Le Pliage collaboration incorporated Pikachu and references to the brand’s jockey heritage, with related digital content in Pokémon Go.
- 2018
Longchamp appoints Kendall Jenner as ambassador[1]
Campaign
Kendall Jenner became a Longchamp ambassador and appeared in the branded short film The Encounter.
- 2018
Longchamp presents its first fashion show in New York[1]
Campaign · Other
The house staged its first fashion show during New York Fashion Week as part of its 70th-anniversary activity.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/longchamp · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled