VEGETABLE PATCH COLOURS INSPIRE ALAIN PASSARD'S MENU AND THE LONGCHAMP COLLECTION
Inspired by nature and vegetable patches, the Summer 2025 collection "Live Green!" comes to life in a shared dinner devised by Longchamp. On 20 February in Paris, friends of the Maison gathered to savour plant-based delights prepared by Michelin-starred chef Alain Passard.
When you look at all these colours, you want to create something. I want to create harmony. Vegetables are works of art
Sophie Delafontaine—Artistic Director of Longchamp—met the chef 25 years ago during the Maison's 50th anniversary celebrations. To mark the launch of this new collection inspired by the vegetable patch colours, he put the treasures of his own gardens in the spotlight. Longchamp's signature green was represented by the gradient-effect colour of the leek, the star of a seasonal vegetable tart.
"Elevating the humble vegetable to a grand cru": this is Alain Passard's philosophy at L'Arpège, his Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris's 7th arrondissement, which Sophie Delafontaine and Peggy Frey visited for Longchamp. A trailblazer, the chef removed red meat from his menu in 2001 to put vegetables at the heart of his dishes, breathing new life and colour into gastronomy.
A visionary of plant-based cuisine, Alain Passard's menus evolve with the seasons, guided by daily arrivals from his vegetable patches. Respecting the seasonality of the produce forces him to keep reinventing: "Seasons are like children: we love them all". Bringing his creative flair to nature's wonders, he delivers a plant-based journey that awakens the senses: "When you look at all these colours, you want to create something. I want to create harmony. Vegetables are works of art". After all, the first taste is with your eyes.
The fleshy green of the artichoke, bright orange of the carrot, crimson red of the beetroot... Season after season, these colours adorn market stalls and illuminate dishes with their vibrant hues. This abundance inspired Sophie Delafontaine to explore this world through her ready-to-wear and leather goods. Delicate and invigorating at the same time, the colours of this collection adorn Parisiennes in search of nature. They recharge in the countryside, adopting "green living" and celebrating the bounty of a vegetable patches with seemingly endless varieties.
To prolong this experienced immersed in the treasures of the vegetable patch, Alain Passard shares with us a recipe honouring the ones that inspired the "Live Green!" collection. A sumptuous way to bring fashion and plant-based gastronomy together. Bon appétit!
