The Unlikely Longevity of Longchamp
Longchamp's Le Pliage bag has maintained long-term popularity across diverse demographics, from European schoolgirls to American college students. The brand attributes this success to the bag's functional design and value rather than a specific marketing strategy.
Why it matters
It highlights how legacy fashion brands can achieve organic, cross-generational appeal in a fast-moving consumer market.
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.
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