By Dexter Francis De Vera
Collaborations between high fashion houses and streetwear labels aren’t a novel concept, and Longchamp has already been partnering with talented individuals to reimagine the Parisian house long before the world of fashion embraced and hyped over it.
The latest to join the portfolio is Emotionally Unavailable (EU)—a contemporary and streetwear brand founded by two talented creative spirits: Canadian-born Hong Kong actor and rapper Edison Chen and Kybum Lee, the designer of Undefeated. The term EU refers to the way our younger generations move from one relationship into another, invested but not too serious. The brand logo, representing a melting heart, embodies this idea.
The collaboration sparked when Longchamp Creative Director Sophie Delafontaine chanced upon the brand in Shanghai. “I first discovered Emotionally Unavailable when I bought a T-shirt for my brother in Shanghai. It made me want to know more about the guys behind the label.” Edison Chen follows the tale saying, “So chance actually had Sophie and me meet randomly in Japan, just to catch up with each other and get acquainted. I felt like we vibed pretty well, so we decided to find a project to work on together.”
And from that moment, the Longchamp x Emotionally Unavailable collection was born. The collection was inspired by the iconic Le Pliage. And with their offbeat humor, Chen and Lee came up with the tagline “Been a CHAMP a LONG time” as the leitmotif for the installment. The result is a boxing-inspired collection that’s actually about heartbreak, deep love, and self-strength. All the bags in the series feature a witty allusion, such as the phrase “Professional Heartbreaker” emblazoned in white on the black Le Pliage.
The Le Pliage Cuir also gets an update in this collection with the Longchamp logo reimagined as a bold, boxing-style graphic printed over the Emotionally Unavailable bleeding heart monogram. The travel bag gets an upgrade with supple black lambskin and adjustable straps that allows it to be carried like a bag pack. Furthermore, the collaboration includes a mini tote with a removable shoulder strap, a cardholder that’s also a coin purse and key reel, and a miniature cross-body bag that features an all-over heart and racehorse pattern.
The collaboration also extends to a capsule of ready-to-wear featuring athleisure staples such as a grey-marl hoodie; a black sweatshirt; t-shirts with the “Been a CHAMP” or boxing logo designs in black and white; unisex boxing shorts with matching kimonos; a short-sleeved crew neck t-shirt; and drawstring pants.
So get ready and cop these knockout pieces because the first round is about to begin.
Longchamp is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Cebu, Greenbelt 5 and Rustans.com
