Longchamp has unveiled its latest collaboration, this time with Emotionally Unavailable (EU), the contemporary fashion brand founded by friends and kindred creative spirits Edison Chen and Kybum Lee.
EU brings its signature offbeat humour to the collaboration in the form of a play on the Longchamp name: "Been a CHAMP a LONG time".
The line hints at the design duo's inspiration, which is the mind-set of the champion boxer, who fights on even when he’s down. However, their wider message – that, with the same mind-set, we can all be champions in life – also echoes the optimistic, dynamic attitude of Longchamp.
Boldly emblazoned in white on the black Le Pliage® bags, this slogan is accompanied by the tongue-in-cheek "Professional Heartbreaker", a nod to EU’s cult bleeding heart logo.
The "Been a CHAMP" design features on four nylon formats of Le Pliage® – a shoulder bag, a small tote, a cute mini backpack and a belt bag – while a spacious travel bag is printed with an all-over pattern of red EU hearts and Longchamp racehorses.
All the bags feature a witty allusion to the other EU in the form of a European Union number-plate label on the side, made up of the EU flag, an EU heart and the Longchamp reference for each format. A pink version of this line is exclusive to China, while a lilac iteration of the shoulder bag will be available only in a Longchamp pop-up in Shanghai.
Emotionally Unavailable then turned their attention to Le Pliage® Cuir, for which they transformed the Longchamp signature into a bold, boxingstyle logo printed over the EU bleeding heart. As seasoned globetrotters, the designers also brought their personal experience to bear on the travel bag in supple black lambskin, equipping it with adjustable straps so it can be carried as a backpack as well as on the shoulder or in the hand.
The leather line is completed by a mini tote with a removable shoulder strap and an ingenious card holder-cum-coin purse-cum-key reel on a lanyard, while a miniature cross-body bag is printed with the all-over heart and racehorse pattern.
The collaboration also extends to a capsule of ready-to-wear featuring – alongside the athleisure staples of a grey-marl hoodie, black sweatshirt and black and white tees printed with the “Been a CHAMP” or boxing logo designs – two unisex pieces borrowed from the boxing ring: black satin shorts and a matching kimono with a white tie belt.
Labels on the shorts spotlight the collaboration’s key signatures, while the kimono is decorated with Longchamp racehorse and EU heart pins. Last but by no means least, a short-sleeved crew and drawstring pants in butter-soft black lambskin combine Longchamp’s leather goods heritage with EU's contemporary fashion vision.
The Longchamp x EU collection will launch 27 April 2021.
