HBA X Longchamp

Hood by Air’s Shayne Oliver and Longchamp get a handle on a cool accessory collaboration.

- Shayne Oliver

THE MINUTE HE GOT HIS HANDS on a Longchamp Le Pliage bag, Shayne Oliver knew what he wanted to do. “I realized the house’s history, but it was the democratic vibe that really got to me,” Oliver says, describing his collaboration with the brand. Longchamp, the storied Parisian luggage house that made its reputation on timeless nylon valises, was founded in 1948; Oliver, who has described his sensibility as “Ghetto Gothic,” was born in 1988. The former is famous for its indispensable satchels; the latter burst on the scene in 2014 with Hood by Air—an exuberant, stunningly well-executed line of elevated street wear that captivated the fashion crowd (and was among the first to offer a truly diverse runway). If this marriage of street and sophistication seems unlikely, sometimes it is magical when opposites attract. As Sophie Delafontaine, the company’s artistic director and granddaughter of its founder, puts it, “We are a very Parisian brand, and Shayne is a very New York designer, but we are linked by creativity and open-mindedness. After all—it doesn’t make sense to collaborate with someone who’s just like you!”

Oliver is on to something when he lauds the brand’s democratic cred—on a sunny afternoon in Paris, it can seem that every woman has either a daunting Hermès or a friendly Longchamp slung over her chic arm. He says he was excited by the brand’s unapologetic practicality and intrigued by the ways he could flip its classic designs. The Le Pliage was already on Oliver’s radar—he laughs that the bag-laden final HBA runway show was influenced by this iconic carrier with the distinctive rectangle shape and little snap flap.