André Saraiva’s Cheeky Longchamp Le Pliage Bags
One of the latest and anticipated collaborations in the luxury world is where graffiti artist André brings signature Longchamp bags to life with his drawings.
Graffiti artist André Saraiva brings a vibrant selection of transformed Longchamp classics. The French luxury fashion house has got the acclaimed artist to put a cheeky spin on luxury bags with celebrated drawings of his iconic goofy smiles and winking eyes.
The nightlife impresario reinterprets what graffiti art means, “from underground opposition to a more friendly and utopian alternative to the day time”. He has proactively modified the nightlife of cities like Paris, Tokyo and New York.
Amongst the Swedish-French artist’s creations is ‘Mr. A’ which has been painted across all six inhabited continents. André frequently collaborates with fashion tastemakers like the legendary Virgil Abloh and Parisian boutique Colette.
The story began during one of Longchamp’s first Paris showrooms near Place de la Concorde. Sophie Delafontaine, Longchamp’s creative director, said they realised André was there before them and left his Mr. A mark behind a door.
Made in nylon canvas and calf leather, the collection includes four iterations of the luxury house’s signature Le Pliage bag. One of the designs is Saraiva’s Mr. A or Mrs. A with a wide grin and the words “AMOUR” as the teeth. According to Delafontaine, the pop colours chosen draws on the urban landscape, André’s colour palette and Longchamp’s trademark green.
André tells Highsnobiety that he is in his pink and blue period. “Pink is actually very special — it’s the only colour that marries with all the others.”
In proving that, 200 small recycled polyester Le Pliage bags were painted by André himself, individually numbered and with artistic splashes of colour. Each bag is unique; no one bag is like the other.
The collection will launch on 19 April, exclusively available at Longchamp stores and the Highsnobiety Shop.
In other news of coveted fashion collaborations, streetwear label Palace and Vancouver-based brand Arc’teryx released a suite of apparel that bridges skating and hiking cultures.
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