Longchamp isn’t typically associated with furniture. But in living up to its commitment to promote creative talent, the Parisian fashion house recently commissioned French designer and cabinetmaker Pierre Renart to create a capsule collection of one Wave leather bench and eight Ruban chairs. The series was unveiled at Milan Design Week in April.
As the brand values creativity and craftsmanship across all forms, General Manager and Creative Director Sophie Delafontaine says, the focus is never on the product, but honouring the materials used and their enhancement through expert hands.
The Longchamp x Pierre Renart collection is crafted from American walnut and upholstered in cowhide. It is also kaleidoscopic and the Ruban chairs come in eight colours, including Longchamp’s signature dark and light green shades.
Longchamp first discovered Renart through Maison Parisienne, a gallery that represents creatives who specialise in working with materials like paper, wire, marble, and wood. “One of the pieces on display was a console he made that immediately appealed to us. Wood is a warm, natural, authentic material, just like leather, so there was a clear affinity with Longchamp,” Delafontaine recounts.
Even though wood is often stiff and static, she continues, Renart has the gift of lending it movement. It is why his design language resonates with Longchamp’s spirit: elegant but dynamic, rooted in craftsmanship yet always looking forward. “He makes the wood look like it’s dancing—the effect is light, supple, elegant, and full of energy. That was also an immediate parallel with Longchamp.”
Renart achieves this effect by running counter to the traditional characteristics of the materials. “Given that wood is generally associated with straight lines, curved, fluid forms are surprising,” he explains. He also uses them to depict progress and possibility: “There’s something in curves that feels alive, dynamic, and always reaching forward.”
Although Renart has been exploring a marriage between wood and leather for years, this is the first time he put his ideas into action. “My idea wasn’t yet fully developed— there were technical constraints for which I was still working out the solutions—so I am very pleased and proud to bring it to completion with Longchamp,” he reveals.
As each leather type has specificities in thickness, suppleness, and grain, among other characteristics, Delafontaine gave him an introduction to the various types before the project commenced. Although Renart loved Longchamp’s cowhide leather, its thickness made it difficult to work with the curves of his designs, so they eventually settled on a suppler type.
This isn’t Longchamp’s first labour of love with the designer. In 2021, Renart created Wave coffee tables for the brand’s boutique displays worldwide and several other pieces followed. As each piece must fit into a specific location and fulfil a specific function, the guidelines are usually quite precise.
However, the process was reversed for this year’s Milan Design Week, Delafontaine says. “Pierre came to us with the idea to combine our two domains of savoir-faire: leather and wood. The approach is purely artistic, but it retains the idea of functionality, which is of great importance to Longchamp.”
Renart is grateful for the chance to work with the beloved brand. It helps that he identifies with what it stands for. “I’ve always felt that Longchamp embodies both French elegance and leather craftsmanship, but what I didn’t know until recently is that Longchamp is a family company.
“I find that very important and it is something you can feel in all working relationships, regardless of level. You can sense that the people you’re working with are proud to represent not only a French company, but also a family company with a rich heritage.”
For context, Delafontaine was the mastermind behind the transparent version of Longchamp’s signature Le Pliage bag. “It was a bold move and no one really believed in it, but I did. It turned out to be a real success!”
She intends to cultivate close connections with more renowned artists so Longchamp can be steeped in renewal. The aim is to constantly present it to consumers through a fresh, avant-garde lens. “Whether it’s through young creators like Sarah Morris, Ryan McGinness, D’Heygere, André, the Toiletpaper duo, or even Robert Indiana, we are deeply committed to celebrating beauty and exceptional savoirfaire. We highlight the work of many artists whose approach and values we share.”
However, the brand has no plans to develop a furniture line, she adds. “What we’re doing with Pierre is a specific project that reflects Longchamp’s mission to support the arts. This project corresponds exactly to that mission as it has enabled him to develop new techniques.”
Delafontaine isn’t afraid of relying instinct and emotion. “This open-minded, intuitive approach often leads to artistic collaborations—encounters born out of genuine admiration and creative resonance. There’s no set formula, only a series of heartfelt choices.
“For Longchamp, every collaboration is, above all, a story of shared vision and mutual inspiration, sparked by a true coup de coeur (a sudden desire or impulse).”
