Longchamp’s story began in 1948 when Jean Cassegrain began to craft luxury leather smoking pipes. After several successful years offering the finest smoke products in France, the company began to create small leather goods, eventually expanding the collection to include women’s handbags, luggage, ready-to-wear, shoes, and men’s leather collections.
Eyewear collections – both sun and optical – have completed the Longchamp look since 2017.
Today, the House of Longchamp… eyewear is favoured by “urban adventurers who embrace life and simply affirm the Parisian allure
Longchamp – the revered Parisian luxury fashion house – exudes a distilled but sparkling elegance that is both confident and colourful. Established soon after the close of World War II, the House of Longchamp has remained in the Longchamp family and today is in the hands of the founder’s eldest son, also Jean Cassegrain.
Primarily targeting women in the 25–45-year age group, Longchamp appeals to all women “who have an affinity for luxury brands – contemporary/dynamic women and urban travellers – sophisticated and elegant, those who appreciate classic styling with a modern twist”.
As Sophie Delafontaine, Longchamp creative director and daughter of the CEO said, the fashion house inspires an art of living ‘à la française’. In other words, a self-confident, playful, and carefree way of life. Its eyewear is favoured by “urban adventurers who embrace life and simply affirm the Parisian allure”.
French Flair
There’s no doubt that Longchamp eyewear reflects the brand’s French flair, leather, quality, femininity, modernity, and creativity.
Within the collection are sophisticated sun and optical frames in a diverse range of shapes and sizes, with different design inspirations and colours that appeal to a broad consumer base. However, regardless of shape, size or colour, every frame is infused with the brand’s spirit, merging refined details and modern inspiration, for an every-day look.
Both understated and timeless in their appeal, Ms Delafontaine explained that each collection draws inspiration from Longchamp’s renowned icons, which include the horse – a symbol of the brand since its establishment.
“The horse represents dynamism and energy, while reflecting Longchamp’s deep connection with the equestrian world.
“Our frames are also inspired by two shades of green – heritage green, which represents authenticity and tradition, and light green, which represents creativity and dynamism.”
The collections are as follows:
Le Pliage: Inspired by the wide colour range and shade contrasts of their namesake bags, the Le Pliage collection is the signature inspiration for the Longchamp Eyewear collection. Functional and simple styles are characterized by feminine and fashionable shapes.
Heritage: The Heritage inspiration pays homage to Longchamp’s leather craftsmanship and expertise, by integrating leather trims, metal details, and structured silhouettes. This range mixes classic elements with sophisticated designs.
Roseau: Characterised by a simple design adorned with a bamboo-style closure, the Roseau line of bags inspires this eyewear family to use the same iconic detail. Chic and modern, the Roseau adds a level of sophistication to the full collection.
Amazone: The signature of the Amazone concept is the classy and extremely refined metal detail on both temples that takes inspiration from the iconic Amazone bag, replicating the buckle used for the closure. Elegance, sophistication, and modernity embody the spirit of this collection.
Medallion: Bold constructions in valuable materials, these styles pay homage to the new Box-Trot bag, named for its sleek structured shape and its medallion clasp featuring the Longchamp horse and rider.
Designed and manufactured in Italy, both sunglass and optical frames are crafted from Arkema Pebax Clear 1200 resin, a material containing advanced, bio-based carbons made from castor beans that ensures minimal environmental impact. Every frame is designed for comfort, and 94% of Longchamp sun models are Rx-able.
Looking to the Future
The Longchamp FW23 release will see new additions to the brand’s active eyewear collections, new gradient colourations, and metal and acetate frames in various shapes from round to modified rectangles. Plant-based resin sunglass styles, in exciting new shapes and brought to life with bright pops of colour, are also coming through.
Contact: Marchon Eyewear (AUS) 1800 251 025 or (NZ) 0800 141 444.
