Picture a cosy chalet in the French Alps. There’s a roaring fire, boardgames and hot beverages. The family inside is convivial, and woven as closely as the plaid blankets draped over them. Now, what are they wearing? This is the question Longchamp artistic director Sophie Delafontaine asked while designing Longchamp’s autumn/winter 2022-23 collection.
If the family in her scenario is anything like her own, the answer – in a broader sense – is Longchamp. Her grandfather Jean Cassegrain launched the label in 1948. Today, her elder brother – also named Jean Cassegrain – is the CEO, her younger bother Olivier Cassegrain is the director of boutiques in the United States and Delafontaine, of course, holds the creative reins.
Under her watch, the label’s people are sporty, chic and more sophisticated than chichi. “During the day, the Longchamp woman likes skiing in clothes with technical details and tonic colours [such as bright yellow and green] inspired by high mountain equipment. At the end of the day, après-ski, she wears soft colours and cocooning shapes,” Delafontaine explains.
And, as she sees it, they are most likely to retreat to an architectural marvel by Charlotte Perriand. The French designer’s 1960s ski-resort buildings and mix of timber and bright colours helped to fill in the collection’s details, especially the houndstooth patterns and bolts of colour.
This isn’t the first time the artistic director has found her muse in the built environment. Last season, she cited interior designer Pierre Paulin as an influence. “Looking beyond fashion for inspiration allows a wider creativity,” she explains. “I think inspiration can be everywhere, you just need to find it.”
It’s Delafontaine’s job to steer the family legacy into the now. Think big, beautiful swirls of Gen-Z energy with licks of K-pop, Kendall Jenner, street style and social media. All without losing the luxe, country- club schtick that has seen them come this far.
While the core Longchamp collection is aimed at seekers of quality, it is periodically supplemented with collaborations with the likes of French graffiti artist André and fashion label Emotionally Unavailable.
But the exhilaration of progress has always been part of Longchamp’s world. It’s right there in the racehorse logo – emblazoned on jackets and accessories. Today it explains Longchamp’s pioneering sustainability measures. The Le Pliage Green bag, for example, is made of recycled nylon and this year the plan is for all nylon bags to be made from recycled material.
While deeply rooted in history, the brand is clearly looking ahead. “This social-media generation shares key values with Longchamp, like authenticity, quality, sustainability and creativity,” Delafontaine says. “These values have always been part of the brand DNA and they will be in the future.”
This article originally appeared in the June issue of maire claire Australia.
