Longchamp - & D’heygere

2022-12-11

The ingenious collaboration that transforms the everyday

Longchamp has partnered with the jewelry and accessories designer Stéphanie D’heygere to create a collection dedicated to mobility and inclusivity. 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 Longchamp, 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: “When I first met Stéphanie, I 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.” Every piece – two bags, an umbrella, a poncho, a rain hat and pants – shares the same ingenious idea of incorporating an extra function in addition to its original one. Thus, the pants can be rolled and unrolled, the belt bag transforms into a backpack, the umbrella is slung across the body, and the rain hat folds and unfolds with the speed of an origami.

Clearly, the Longchamp & D’heygere collaboration combines a sense of humor – like the Belgian designer’s jewelry and accessories – with intelligence and efficacy. Come rain or shine, on foot or on wheels, running to catch a train or leaving in pursuit of new horizons, movement is facilitated by the capsule’s ingenious, transformable, go-anywhere designs in recycled polyester and nylon.

The color palette focuses on classics – black, navy, white and fuchsia pink – which evoke the elegance of Longchamp and, in the hands of Stéphanie D’heygere, take on a very Parisian brand of laid-back chic. In addition to these timeless, unisex shades, a leopard print injects a spirit of glamour and daring, which works equally well for men and women. “I regard the gender-free aspect of the collection as a particular success: the cuts and the details are neither feminine nor masculine, and the sizes go from S to XL,” says Stéphanie D’heygere.

How did you meet and what made you want to work together?

SOPHIE: I first met Stéphanie four years ago in the context of the ANDAM competition. She had won the Accessories Award, and I 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. STÉPHANIE: I have very good memories of our first collaboration! It has been a pleasure for me to develop an entire capsule collection, which includes the poncho, as well as a series of other pieces, including leather goods, for example.

Stéphanie, your focus is on accessories. Can you explain how you transform everyday objects or moments into fashion accessories?

STÉPHANIE: My design process is more about thinking than drawing. I like the idea of studying an object in order to give it a new function. Everyday objects have always fascinated me... There is a certain beauty in the ordinariness of the objects which inspire me and which I try to approach from an unexpected angle. I love to create a sense of surprise through humor or through transforming the uses of an object. My aim is not just to make something beautiful – the accessory has to be both original and functional. SOPHIE: Precisely! Some of your past designs have made a real impression me – I’m thinking of the ring that transforms into a cigarette holder, or the gloves that become a scarf. Today, this capsule collection reveals your talent for exploring the diverse functions of an object.

Stéphanie, the LONGCHAMP x D’HEYGERE collection is intended for both men and women

Inclusivity is an ever-present in your work, so what makes an accessory gender-neutral, transgenerational and/or universal? STÉPHANIE: That’s something I especially enjoyed about this experience. What makes this capsule inclusive and universal is that it can be worn by anybody and everybody! I regard the gender-free aspect of the collection as a particular success: the cuts and the details are neither feminine nor masculine, and the sizes go from S to XL.

Sophie, the collection uses the same recycled nylon from which Le Pliage® bags are now made. Can you tell us a bit more about Longchamp’s environmental commitment?

SOPHIE: Since the beginning, Longchamp’s environmental commitment has been reflected in the durability of its products, thanks to the materials we select and the expertise of our teams. Over the past two years, we have innovated by transitioning the entire Le Pliage® line to recycled canvas. Beyond the products themselves, our environmental commitment involves many other aspects of the business, such as packaging and logistics. This is a real priority for us, which of course extends to our collaboration with Stéphanie. Apart from the leather, which is always sourced from LWG-certified tanneries, all the materials used for this capsule are recycled.