Revel In An Exotic Journey ... Longchamp SS2014 Collection

Travelling is an indulgence — a luxury that could be afforded either by money or time. More often than not, time is the main reason that restrains us from seeing the world, divulging ourselves to the colours and cultures of the world. Nevertheless, there’s always a way when there is a will.

This spring, Longchamp will take you on excursions across exotic locations throughout the world, without having to board on a plane. Juxtaposing a great balance between casual mood and its signature French-style elegance, the spring/summer 2014 ready-to-wear collection beams the spirit of sporty chic with lightweight leather pieces in the forms of hooded blouson and coat in the softest ivory lambskin. Linen playsuits, shorts and printed cotton blouse inject a dose of resort nonchalance.

“Leather pieces are a key element of any Longchamp collection, firstly because of our heritage, but also because of our approach. Our aim is to free leather from its connotations of heaviness and to make it as light and easy to wear as a cashmere sweater,” says Sophie Delafontaine, Artistic Director of Longchamp. “We have taken this further than ever for Spring 2014 with, for example, pieces like the hooded blouson in métis leather – the same exceptionally supple leather as Le Pliage® Cuir in an even more lightweight version – which is the kind of casual, go-anywhere piece you can just slip on and look instantly stylish.”

Doused in colourful melange of neutral shades drawn from the landscapes of the Botswana plains and the Australian outback with energetic bright hues such as coral and lagoon blues – inspired by the super glamorous Italian seaside resort Portofino – the collection too boasts a plethora of unique prints such as Tribu Longchamp feather print in Amazonian-worthy colours, positioned around the neckline to mimic a tribal necklace, as well as the Ile au Panthéres - a neo-leopard pattern revisited in the coral of the resort’s façades and the lagoon blue of the Mediterranean, inspired by the spirit of the Italian Riviera in the Seventies.

“Each of our stopovers this season – Botswana, the Australian Outback and Portofino – was the pretext for a print. The graphic Bambou print inspired by Botswana’s Okavango Delta features most strongly on our leather goods, but the Tribu Longchamp feather print and the Ile aux Panthères leopard motif are a key focus of the ready-to-wear,” Delafontaine says. 

“For Tribu Longchamp, we digitally enhanced the multi-coloured plumage of the lorikeet, a small Australian parrot, to produce a print that we placed around the necklines or waistbands of our ready-to-wear, creating the effect of a tribal ornament. It ties in with the casual mood of this part of the collection, with its focus on easy, sporty pieces,” she adds.

Ready-to-wear aside, Longchamp’s storied leather goods make great fashion investment. Bags in iconic silhouettes such as the Pliage, Enjoy, Dolce and Quadri are painted in popping colour palette of teal, orange, coral, pink and yellow with subdued hints of earthy tones. 

Fans of prints will not be disappointed with the season’s star prints – the feathery charms of Tribu Longchamp, Fleurs de Ravello and Ile aux Panthères. The same goes to shoes, where jewel sandals through brightly coloured ballet pumps, to relaxed boat shoes are waiting to entice shoe lovers.    

Longchamp spring/summer 2014 ready-to-wear and accessories collection are available now at Longchamp stores, selected fine department stores and multi-brand boutiques worldwide. 

*Photos courtesy of Longchamp

Longchamp – Lot 3.58, Pavilion KL, 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; #G230-B, The Gardens Mid Valley, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur; Isetan KLCC, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Jalan Ampang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.