There’s always one, isn’t there? The enviably elegant woman who sashays into the airport lounge with the air of having done it many times before, we mean. Apparently unaware that all eyes are on her, she nonchalantly folds her sunglasses, adjusts her cashmere wrap and settles down to scroll through her phone or flick through a glossy magazine.
This woman is La Voyageuse, the inspiration for Longchamp’s FW 2019 new line. For her, travel is about more than crossing continents, although she does this frequently. It's a style, a state of mind, and an insatiable curiosity to discover new countries, new cultures. She is the ultimate globetrotter, so it's hardly surprising that she looks so at home in the departure lounge. Beside her is the bag that Longchamp has named after her: La Voyageuse, the star of the new season.
For long-haul flights, she chooses the large tote, either in butter-soft calf leather or in supple cowhide debossed with the French label’s all-over LGP monogram. It's spacious, with structured sides and generous gussets, ready to hold all her travel essentials and more besides. Sophisticated details like the bright nickel rivets and oversized chapes securing the handles nod to Longchamp’s tradition of leather craftsmanship, while practical features include a long zipper and a removable, adjustable shoulder strap. The distinctive leather panel embossed with the Longchamp signature wraps around the bag and was inspired by vintage luggage.
For shorter journeys and days about town, she picks the smaller version, identical in every detail to its big sister, choosing from its array of materials and colors the one that best matches her mood, outfit, or destination. Plain calf leather in timeless noir or clay-white, perhaps, or else any one of four LGP-debossed variations: black, chalk ivory, burnt red, or deep brown cowhide; suede in khaki, navy, or the season’s rich brandy shade; patent in midnight blue or eye-popping orange. The possibilities seem endless! Her particular favorite, however, is La Voyageuse LGP Jacquard, an intricately-crafted design in monochrome, embroidered with the LGP monogram on a wool canvas base and trimmed with supple calf leather.
Its compact shape and precious detailing evoke a vanity case of yesteryear—the precise peg, according Creative Director Sophie Delafontaine.
Even when La Voyageuse is not between planes, she is always on the move, which is why she appreciates the versatility of two further designs. The first is a small crossbody bag with a removable shoulder strap, which doubles as a clutch. The second, inspired by vintage newspaper sacks, is a minimalist vertical number with removable handles, which (thanks to the suppleness of Longchamp’s plain calf or debossed cowhide leathers) can be rolled and buckled with a strap. So au courant.
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La Voyageuse—one spirit, three styles—set to accompany the Longchamp girl as she oh-so-elegantly journeys through life.
