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Reimagining a classic and having fun creating new interpretations is a privilege when collaborating with Longchamp to design new versions of their iconic bag, Le Pliage®. Now it’s the turn of Longchamp & André, a collaboration full of energy, poetry, and positivity.
A cheerful character with a blinking eye and wide smile named Mr. A; shares humor and happiness wherever he appears, whether on the walls of the French capital or in countless other cities around the world. This is Mr. A, created by the Parisian graffiti artist André Saraiva and he is the star of this collaboration.
This meeting seemed meant to happen, as if it were written in the stars, or-as destiny would have it- on a door. This is how the creative director of Longchamp, Sophie Delafontaine, explains it. Years ago, one of our first showrooms in Paris was a rented space near the Place de la Concorde. When we moved, we discovered that André had been there before us. Because right there, in the back of a door, was Mr. A. You could say that it was our first meeting. We eventually made it out of the showroom, and we kept the door.
André, for his part, was very familiar with Longchamp Le Pliage®, a design he admires for its simplicity and practicality that transcend time and fashion trends. Therefore, he was willing to accept Longchamp’s invitation to become the newest artist to transform the iconic foldable bag into a canvas for creativity.
With a few strokes, André transformed the iconic bag into four formats. All in recycled nylon, in three different variations of Mr. A. and his partner Mrs. A, who blinks and blows a kiss.
The designs are very André: full of energy, poetry, and positivity, says Sophie Delafontaine. Everyone knows Le Pliage®, and they know that it is the favorite canvas of artists. It is the first time that it turns into a character!
The colors fit perfectly into the artist’s pop palette. I am in my pink and blue period. The artist jokes about his choice of candy pink and sky blue, adding that he loves working with pink because Pink is the only color I blend in with all the others. The range is completed by black and a particularly vibrant version of the brand’s signature green.
For this collaboration, André asked to create an exclusive leather version of his Le Pliage® travel bag to take along on his frequent global trips. Longchamp selected a natural calfskin leather that will acquire a beautiful patina over time. André, with his unrivaled style, reinterprets the Longchamp racehorse medallion.
The highlight of the collaboration is a limited edition of 200 small Le Pliage® bags in recycled polyester canvas, printed in pink and blue with Mr. A motifs, to be personalized directly by André. Each bag will be unique and individually numbered – an original piece of art to wear every day!
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