The Unlikely Longevity of Longchamp

Across US college campuses, undergraduates are carrying Longchamp’s Le Pliage bag — the trusty, foldable tote that has had teenagers and 20-somethings in a chokehold since its launch in 1993. In Paris, schoolgirls are seen wielding the bag from as young as 13, while in the UK, it’s an undying staple of accessible luxury, associated with royals and it-girls including Lila Moss and Alexa Chung. And in Aaron Sorkin’s new film The Social Reckoning, Mikey Madison’s whistle-blowing protagonist carries the bag as part of her San Francisco tech employee uniform.

On TikTok, creators crow about Le Pliage’s visually and physically satisfying design, produced in workshops across Western France. For many, it’s the perfect first “big girl” bag, priced accessibly at $165 for the classic large canvas iteration — and available in sizes ranging from extra-extra small through XL. “We’ve always had the image of being excellent value,” says CEO Jean Cassegrain. “It’s the history of our brand to always be contemporary, in sync with the times, and to adjust to new customer needs.”

Cassegrain is the third generation in the Longchamp family. His father, Philippe, designed the Le Pliage, while his grandfather (also Jean) founded the brand in 1948, originally selling leather pipe designs. Cassegrain, mustachioed, silver-haired, and smiling, explains that during its early days, the pipes were popular with hip youngsters. Fast forward to now, and it’s birthed another craze, this time with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. While the company doesn’t disclose sales of the Le Pliage, it confirmed the bag is its best-seller.

For Longchamp, this is a welcome accident. “It’s not something we have manufactured,” he says. “Of course, I see [it] because I have teenagers and younger people around me, and our team members also have teenagers around them, but it’s not a deliberate marketing strategy.” He argues that teenagers make their own decisions. “If you try to market something as ‘for them’, they are not going to like it.”

For other competitors in the accessible luxury market, Longchamp offers a valuable case study in bucking the trend of excessively fawning Gen Z content, at a time when luxury is at risk of losing its hold on youth culture. Longchamp’s passive, product-led approach has won it cool points, but for other bridge brands, such as Coach and Diesel, innovative Gen Z-focused social media strategies helped unlock a sizable audience. Longchamp could risk losing ground to its peers without more social savvy. But for Cassegrain, what’s worked for decades has yet to show any sign of slowing down.

The Longchamp epidemic

Roughly 80% of Longchamp’s customers are female, Cassegrain tells Vogue Business. Under-25s and 25-30s are two highly dynamic age segments for Longchamp, and the brand’s median age is around 35-36. In the past three years, the under-35 portion has grown substantially. The age split differs by territory, and in France especially, Longchamp consumers start young.

On TikTok, the #Longchamp Le Pliage features in freshman content, as well as “Longchamp epidemic” videos, which simply showcase the sheer number of women and girls carrying the bag across central London. Some creators recommend the bag, positioning it as the ultimate back-to-school design. Even British Vogue has highlighted its revival, dubbing it the ’00s messy-prep revival piece.

Late last year, Vogue Business and youth culture agency Archrival published a Gen Z report, highlighting that TikTok was indeed the number one social media app for US Gen Zs to find or discover products. Tellingly, one respondent — then a 21-year-old student from Chicago — said TikTok videos influenced her to purchase a blue Longchamp bag. “On the first day of school, literally hundreds of other girls had the exact same bag,” she said. “It was really weird because it’s a specific brand in a specific color. It almost looked dystopian.” Gen Alpha, due to the internet’s flattening of tween culture, are also tapping into Longchamp, drawn in by its bridge brand status.

In the boardroom, the brand is reaping the rewards. France, China, and the US are its leading markets. US sales have accelerated in the past two years to high double-digit growth. China — where many European luxury brands are struggling — remains strong, growing single-digit. In 2025, overall sales were up 10% year-on-year, with all regions and distribution channels contributing to this momentum. North America sales climbed by 40%, accounting for 15% of the total turnover. Digital sales also grew 17% on e-commerce.

Cassegrain forecasts double-digit growth in 2026, outperforming the luxury average. This will more than double its turnover in 2022 — a major four-year jump. A medium-sized player in the market, Longchamp wants to scale in line with growing consumer demand. That way, it can optimize across all channels: service, website, communications, and events. “The goal is also to grow more than the market, so that we can gain market share,” explains Cassegrain, noting that in the past four years, the market for luxury accessories and ready-to-wear didn’t double in size, making Longchamp an outperformer.

One of the most enticing aspects of Longchamp’s offering — and a clear draw for the notably discerning Gen Z consumer — is the custom offering, My Pliage, initiated in 2003. Over the years, this service has evolved and was updated in 2025, allowing customers to select everything from the canvas and monogram details through to hardware finishing. From the outset, more than 20 years ago, Asian customers showed strong demand for this personalizable element, although it’s been a globally popular proposition. The draw? “It’s a product that’s reliable and very well identified, but at the same time, it’s not the same as everyone else’s,” says Cassegrain. “The customer can buy into the safety of the brand, but at the same time, have something totally unique.”

Scaling a family business

Part of Longchamp’s success lies in it being a family business. Cassegrain is the company’s third-ever CEO, following his father and grandfather. This means Longchamp can invest quietly and discreetly in the brand, think long term, and avoid stock market or private equity pressure to deliver flashy quarterly results.

It’s also a largely women-led company. The workforce is 79% women, the executive committee is 40%, and the international subsidiary of directors is 58%. The creative director and general manager, Sophie Delafontaine, sits across business and creative decisions, giving her a clear view of product performance and strong relationships with the CEO. “So, disclosure: Sophie is my sister,” Cassegrain says, chuckling. “So it makes things easier, and we work together very closely.”

That said, Cassegrain is keen to note that the stability and safety that come with family businesses also mean Longchamp has to self-motivate. “We need to make sure we’re not becoming complacent, so we need to be able to reinvent ourselves — even without outside pressure.” In practice, that’s resulted in an evolving wealth of SKUs across bags, footwear, and ready-to-wear, comprising new releases and updates on brand heroes. Le Cadence, a slouchy, grained leather bag launched in August, sold out 70% of the season’s initial inventory by the end of September. It quickly became a company best-seller.

Meanwhile, ready-to-wear serves as a powerful tool in communicating the brand’s image: a blend of Parisian chic and cheery design language. As Cassegrain sees it, Longchamp is an expert in leather goods, but it’s also special because of its strong brand message rooted in color and optimism — key differentiators in today’s luxury market. “A lot of brands feel a little serious, a little dark, a little black, and lack humor sometimes,” he says. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

Until recently, this wing of the business had a very limited distribution, but the plan is to expand that. Currently, around 75% of Longchamp’s sales come from its direct-to-consumer channel, and within that, 80-85% of customers shop in-person rather than online. This is promising. Young people might be infamously influenced online, but clearly they’re heading to stores. If the bag resurgence is anything to go by, the first signs of success will be on TikTok, and then the P&L sheet.

“It shouldn’t be the brand's best-kept secret,” says Cassegrain. “We want it to become more visible, and we feel quite confident in pushing it further.”