Championing sustainability and women: An interview with Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain

Jean Cassegrain talks about championing sustainability, the value of women in the workforce, its plans for the Asian market

The Cassegrain family has been at the helm of the House of Longchamp since its establishment in 1948. For four generations, it has operated the business with a great sense of responsibility to protect the environment and provide equal opportunities. All this while nurturing the French artistry and craftsmanship the international brand is known for.

In an interview with Tatler, Jean Cassegrain, grandson of Longchamp founder and the House’s current chairman and CEO, reports the company’s record-breaking 44 per cent growth in 2023, a remarkable development in the House’s history. “The year 2023 was an excellent year for us... a solid year,” the third-generation scion says. While Longchamp’s broad presence worldwide contributed to this growth, the expansion in China has dramatically impacted this number. Last year, Longchamp opened seven new boutiques in China, seeing solid potential in the Asian market. What’s also good is that the company’s overall growth translates into job opportunities, creating 500 new jobs last year.

Longchamp chairman and CEO Jean Cassegrain (Image: Courtesy of Longchamp)

Above Jean Cassegrain (Image: Courtesy of Longchamp)

Besides providing livelihood, the House also takes pride in giving women an equal chance in the workforce. “The majority of our customers are women. The company has grown and developed around women. In our workshops in France, there are almost only women,” Jean explains. “Women have always had a strong influence in the company. My grandmother was very active alongside my grandfather for many years. Same with my mother. Now, my sister co-manages the business with me. My mother and my sister would not have tolerated any discrimination.”

Donnie Tantoco, president of Rustan Commercial Corporation (the distribution partner of Longchamp in the Philippines), who was also present during the interview, chimes in: “My grandmother would say women are the most competent,” referring to Rustan’s matriarch, the late Glecy Tantoco. Longchamp’s workforce is composed of 3,500 employees, and 77 per cent of these are women. Half of the company’s executive committee are also women.

Above Image: Courtesy of Longchamp

For its outstanding craftsmanship and industrial know-how, Longchamp has also been recognised since 2007 by the French government as an Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company). “It’s something that everyone in the company is very proud of because it’s meaningful. We have the official stamp that says you have the know-how, which is important,” Jean says.

With this recognition, Longchamp takes to heart its duty to nurture, preserve and develop its industrial expertise and craftsmanship by continuously striving to improve production processes, deliver quality products and strengthen its global presence. “We’re in a world where you fall backwards if you don’t move forward. We have strong and hefty competitors who know how to run their business. To stay in the game, you need to continue growing,” he says. “The customer also expects more and more from the brand, so the bar is raised, and the only way we can cope with that as an independent family business is by continuing to develop ourselves so that we can continue to face all the obligations that we now have.”

Above Image: Courtesy of Longchamp

One of the directions the brand is taking this year is “keeping a tight network that works well”. Since the House already has a robust international presence, Jean explains that the goal is to strategically open only a few new stores and renovate and upgrade existing ones. For example, the Greenbelt store has undergone a beautiful renovation in the Philippines, and a plan to open another boutique in Manila is in the works. “We put a lot of effort into our store design. I’m reviewing most of the store plans and designs. We spend much time with architects because we have our in-house architectural team. We also try to put some interesting and unique elements like store artwork. Hence, it’s not cookie cutter,” says the chairman and CEO, passionate about design and architecture. “We can sometimes introduce vintage furniture. We always try to give each store some elements of personality.”

The Parisian House also takes sustainability seriously, and one of the main goals the company has set is to reduce its carbon footprint. “One of the important steps that we have taken is to change the material of the Le Pliage bag to recycled fibre,” he shares. This initiative alone reduced the carbon footprint of each bag by 20 per cent. “That’s quite significant. Our carbon footprint is associated with our raw materials, so we’re working on it. Also, we need to reduce the use of air freight in transporting our products, hopefully with the support of our partners worldwide. One of the practices we’ve been doing is to transport products worldwide via air, and we need to consider transporting them via sea so the footprint goes way down,” he explains.

Above Image: Courtesy of Longchamp

Wrapping up, Jean also reveals Longchamp’s aim to boost its presence digitally. “The pandemic accelerated the importance of online shopping. Our online business has multiplied by five in 2023 compared to 2019. So it’s a huge increase. Here in the Philippines, we’re available on two websites,” he says, referring to the brand’s presence in Rustan’s and Trunc’s e-commerce platforms.

NOW READ

Anton Tantoco Huang opens up about the future of luxury retail and hospitality

5 fashionable red carpet looks from ‘Dune: Part Two’

ALT Philippines and Univers team up with six artists for a collaboration with Moreau Paris

Topics

longchamp fashion sustainability

Tatler Asia

In the Long Run: In conversation with Longchamp chairman and CEO Jean Cassegrain