PARIS – What’s cause to go to a retailer?
So far as Longchamp‘s chief govt workplace Jean Cassegrain is anxious, a terrific product is an effective begin however isn’t sufficient.
That notion influenced the revamp of the French model’s flagship within the SoHo neighborhood of New York Metropolis, unveiled Tuesday.
At a time the place e-commerce reigns supreme, “there are various different methods to entry the product which are going to be extra handy than coming into town and happening to Spring Avenue,” he informed WWD. “So we wish to make it definitely worth the journey for you.”
There’s nowhere it’ll be extra seen than within the 9,000-square-foot industrial loft, inbuilt 1936, positioned at 132 Spring Avenue that’s been residence to Longchamp since 2006.
Exhibit A: the brand new zingy inexperienced livery on the facade and the dramatic staircase, a cascade of 55 tons of metal ribbons that join the road stage to the second ground imagined virtually twenty years in the past by British designer Thomas Heatherwick.
The 55-ton metal set up titled “The Panorama” and connecting the street-level entrance to the second ground was given a zesty inexperienced livery.
Courtesy of Longchamp
Inexperienced spills from the columns and onto swirling rugs, telegraphing the act of pouring paint from high to backside. Shelving items appear to be large slats curving down from the ceiling, giving a peek on the industrial-style tools tucked above.
Dotted round are eye-catchers starting from a Nineteen Seventies croissant-shaped sofa by famend French designer Raphaël Raffel, midcentury trendy furnishings that features a desk by Gio Ponti from 1948 — the 12 months Longchamp was created — to graffiti by French artist André Saraiva. Additionally featured are works by British sculptor David Nash, French ceramicist Nitsa Meletopoulos, and American visible artist and designer Bobby Silverman.
Whereas there are not any plans for a proper way of life element equivalent to a café, the model has activations within the works coming this summer time.
The studio behind the redesign that took six months to finish is Heatherwick, which was already behind the shop’s 2006 incarnation.
Though a lot has occurred in 19 years, from altering retail expectations to recent model codes for the 77-year-old French firm, “there’s nobody else than Thomas [Heatherwick] we’d have approached,” Cassegrain informed WWD.
“[This] isn’t just a boutique, it’s actually a design mission, a design piece and might be probably the most designed boutiques in New York Metropolis,” he stated. “So you’ll be able to solely ask the unique designer to replace it if you wish to be loyal to him and trustworthy to [the] authentic ideally suited.”
For Heatherwick, writing a second chapter to the unique design “is a narrative of reuse, combining particular supplies and new moments of pleasure and shock, whereas being deeply rooted in historical past,” he stated in an e mail.
“The world of retailers is usually extraordinarily wasteful, as retailers come and go, and interiors get repeatedly ripped out and changed,” the designer stated. “So it’s been a treasured deal with, after virtually 20 years since we first constructed it, to have an opportunity to refresh, strengthen and re-clarify our authentic Longchamp ‘Maison Distinctive’ retailer.”
The SoHo redesign is a serious milestone following the COVID-19 years, a difficult time for a model centered round journey. “Throughout virtually 19 months, there was no motion, no journey,” recalled Cassegrain. “So we suffered rather a lot and we’ve taken the time to rethink plenty of issues.”
Longchamp’s SoHo flagship.
Courtesy of Longchamp
What emerged was a have to make clear the model’s identification in a a lot clearer approach. Among the many evolutions was a brand new retail idea that began to roll out in 2022, leaning on the codes of Parisian flats and Longchamp’s heritage embodied by objects and artworks from its archives.
“As a result of we’ve been round for a very long time, there have been perhaps layers upon layers of preconceived concepts concerning the model and we’ve determined to package deal our story in a approach that’s extra environment friendly, extra readable for the client,” in collections, retail in addition to communication, he stated. “And in some unspecified time in the future, the client perceives that and it yields some leads to phrases in sale.”
Whereas the privately owned firm doesn’t talk its turnover, it stated that gross sales in 2024 had set a brand new file, with a 20 % progress year-on-year. Europe leapt 33 % and South Korea practically doubled, whereas the U.S. rose 27 %.
The North American market, which incorporates the U.S. and Canada, accounts for round 10 % of the enterprise, Cassegrain stated through the interview. And American shoppers additionally buy the model in Europe and different locations — as they’ve for many years.
Longchamp’s worldwide growth started within the wake of World Battle Two, when younger People stationed to Paris bought its merchandise. The model adopted residence, the place it has loved a steady presence for the reason that Fifties.
However whereas its historical past or SoHo retailer’s distinctive options are nice dialog starters, the model’s key to success stays what Cassegrain described as “a smart strategy,” which implies doing “good product and to cost them pretty” in his opinion.
And that covers how Longchamp is dealing with the brand new U.S. tariffs, nonetheless underneath speedy and ongoing growth. Previous to the April 2 announcement by President Trump, its merchandise had been already topic to duties that ranged between 8 and 18 % relying on the product.
A graffiti by André Saraiva within the Longchamp flagship in SoHo.
Courtesy of Longchamp
On June 1, the French model’s costs within the U.S. will rise by 6 %, to account for the extra duties but additionally a weaker U.S. greenback.
“It’s a somewhat cautious improve,” the manager stated. “If wanted we are going to improve our costs once more [in following seasons] however at all times with in thoughts a balanced strategy.”
Befitting the household enterprise’ roots in journey, Cassegrain is a staunch believer that something that impedes the circulation of individuals and items is detrimental to the Longchamp’s “good product at a suitable worth” ethos — and throughout the board.
“I’m hopeful that this complete episode will find yourself exhibiting that it doesn’t work, and that tariffs usually are not good for anybody,” he stated. “Even in Europe, the political world is increasingly for closed borders, which I discover very unhappy, and I hope that [this] will present that closing borders isn’t the answer to something.”
