Kendall Jenner photographed by Nicolas Wagner for Vogue Arabia, October 2018
The all-American superstar model illuminates Longchamp’s 70th anniversary.
Kendall Jenner appears remarkably fresh-faced off an overnight flight from Los Angeles to Paris. She’s touched down in the City of Lights for the occasion of the Longchamp 70th anniversary celebrations – she’s the face of the jet setting French brand. “Hi, I’m Kendall,” she smiles, looking up from her plush seat while reaching out her hand for a solid shake. In the flesh, Jenner looks exactly as she does on social media, as if a magic filter has been scanned over her from tip to toe. As she relaxes, her American accent becomes more apparent; she endearingly slips into a drawl.
Originally printed in the October 2018 issue of Vogue Arabia
With more than 95 million followers on Instagram and crowned the highest-paid model in 2017, at 22 years young, there’s little to nothing left for her to conquer. What she seeks today, are experiences. When Longchamp suggested a debut commercial that recalls French director Claude Lelouch’s high-speed drive through Paris in the 1976 short film C’était un rendez-vous – only in this case, exchanging the Mercedes Benz for a horse – she couldn’t resist. “I’ve been riding horses my entire life and that connection was really nice. It made sense,” she says. “It’s probably one of my favorite shoots I’ve ever done.”
In a fashion climate favoring logomania and streetwear, is a classic brand like Longchamp coveted among millennials? “My friends and I travel so much,” starts Jenner. “I always gravitated to it for its cool, classic, and worldly allure. That’s where it makes so much sense – you can rock Longchamp anywhere.” If she’s not on a plane carrying her oversized Le Pliage bag – the foldable, lightweight carryall made with nylon and considered an innovation at the time of its launch in 1972 – she prefers a small satchel to swing over a shoulder, like the buckle-clasp Amazone Hobo bag.
Brand ambassador Kendall Jenner with Longchamp at the Palais Garnier. Photo Francois Goize, courtesy Longchamp
Founded in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain, Longchamp is foremost a Parisian brand, but one of the first with a global view. After launching with a pipe sheathed in leather, cigarette cases, and passport holders, it evolved to offer women’s bags in 1971 and eventually ready-to-wear. The brand’s enduring ambition was later embodied by a steed – the symbol of the house today. From its launch to present day, all the members of the Cassegrain family have been involved in building its billion-dollar success – a point that is notably echoed within the Kardashian-Jenner clan.
At the Longchamp headquarters, Jenner climbs the stairs to shoot this image for Vogue Arabia. Some 10 people are in the room, but no one fidgets with their phone or even dares speak while Nicolas Wagner offers Jenner posing indicators. And then she’s off, disappearing inside a tinted-window van, the door sliding shut behind her.
That evening, all eyes are on her at the Longchamp 70th anniversary celebrations at the Palais Garnier opera house. Dressed in a black tulle, horse-embroidered dress, Jenner advances through the crowd and stops to demurely look behind her, allowing hundreds of flashes to catch her gaze. She is surrounded by a dozen bodyguards to ensure no one gets too close. The statuesque model’s drawl is but a memory.
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