The sneaky every woman bag
A shallow dive: Le Pliage
Hello darlings,
Today’s a special day because I’m finally posting one of my initial Substack ideas— an homage to one of the most ludicrously capricious bags in the game. Last year this idea struck me. As luck would have it? She was celebrating her 30th anniversary on the market. Kismet. And yes, while this idea and her birthday were in 2023, I’m still here to post because it’s never too late to celebrate a classic.
I’m talking about a bag so audacious you will never be able to unsee her— not a day passes where I don’t find her adorning someone’s shoulder and in a variety of colors. She permeates the city streets “instantly recognizable yet practically logoless.” You don’t own one to look in vogue, but you get one because she’s required in any city girls arsenal. Part uniform, part practicality. She was baggu before baggu was the formidable foldable bringable. Except where baggu has a wide open cavern, she boasts a zipper. Do you know what bag I’m talking about?
If you guessed Longchamp’s Le Pliage, you’d be right ❤️
I first set eyes on the infamous Pliage tote at a high school summer program through Columbia for photography. A student from abroad used it as her camera and photo paper bag. She also had the classic Hermès Evelyne bag, but I only had eyes for her brown Pliage. I got one for my birthday later that year that I still schlep into Gowanus darkroom to this day.
Longchamp
The Longchamp brand came to fame during WWII. Jean Cassegrain took over the family tobacco business, pivoting from purely smoke sales into leather accessories for pipes and things of that like. His smoking accessories were favorites among the allied troops and Elvis. In the 1950’s he grew the company to include small leather goods. Flash forward, Jean has bébé Phillippe Cassegrain who also grows up and takes over the family business. Phillippe expanded Longchamp into foreign markets, making Lonchamp one of the first European luxury brands sold throughout southeast Asia in the late 70s’.
Due to the introduction of Nylon fabric blends in the haute couture market, Phillippe flirted with foldable bag designs in the early 1970’s “DuPont's Fabric Development Department cleverly targeted French fashion designers, supplying them with fabric samples. In 1955, designers such as Coco Chanel, Jean Patou, and Christian Dior showed gowns created with DuPont fibers.” (As an environmentalist I quickly need to add, BOO Dupont). With success he started with the Xtra-Bag: a collapsable khaki nylon piece of luggage as opposed to the traditional heavier hardshell suitcases. By the late 70s’ Phillippe was crowned CEO and had successfully transitioned the company away from smoking accessories and into women’s and mens handbags/ leather goods.
Entrer l'année 1993: Reportedly inspired by a recent trip to Japan and origami, Phillippe designed the infamous Pliage Tote. Loosely translated as the folding. I can’t help but wonder if the steady increase of women’s roles in the workplace through the 80’s and 90’s also inspired the need for this kind of tote.
Legacy Bag
In three simple folds le Pliage goes from spacious bag for any paperwork, goods, groceries, or subway shoes into a self contained envelope you can stash into another smaller purse. They’re washable and infinitely reusable. They don’t break the bank. They’re timeless- they’re comfortable affordable luxury . As far as sales go? In 2008 it was reported by Phillippe’s son Jean, now the new current CEO that “2.5 million bags were produced per year.” Over 10 years later who knows what that number is. But more importantly and back on my environmentalism— how are these new bags produced?
In 2023 Longchamp completed transitioning their canvas luggage line and leather goods line into productions entirely made out of 100% recycled fibers. This includes their Pliage purses, anything that uses synthetic fibers will be woven from recycled yarn. This reduces their carbon footprint by 20%. No surprise here, as this is a three generation strong family run company that values the future of their families heritage.
Wear to Find
They’re ubiquitous—they’re on the poshmark market, every major department store, online, and even amazon. I’m currently eyeing this sweet adaptation of the classic french market tote into their line.
So go get your hand on one! Pull a bank rob, stuff your tote with little farmers markets goods or ballet slippers. Whatever you need it for, it’ll be there.
x
Love it! A must for any busy, multi-tasking woman of today!