Longchamp's Brand Strategy is Being French, Basically

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Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain stopped by HuffPost Live's C-Suite to talk about everything from the brand's "optimistic" take on luxury to his approach to management. Cassegrain, whose grandfather founded the company in 1948, spoke at length about Longchamp's brand strategy. He, for one, probably approves of all those "how to dress like a French girl" articles, because Longchamp's entire identity seems to be based around Frenchness.

"We try to promote a brand concept that is very French," Cassegrain said. "Whether it’s in Japan in Korea or in the US or in Mexico, women like the Parisian lifestyle. I think the Parisian woman can be a role model for a lot of women around the world. She’s active, dynamic, but always elegant. This thoughtless elegance is probably what characterizes her the best and we root for that."

But wait a moment, Longchamp's longtime brand ambassador Alexa Chung isn't French. Cassegrain explains: "Alexa perfectly embodies the brand. She’s English, she’s not French, but she’s very Parisian in her way of life," he said in the video.