In the three years since Alber Elbaz left his post at Lanvin , the French fashion house where he served as its charismatic and whimsical creative director, he’s tried his hand at a few different collaborations. There was the fragrance he made with Frederic Malle an anniversary collection for Converse , and now, a line of bags for LeSportsac .“They did the bags and I did the sketches,” Elbaz tells Refinery29 of the range of nylon weekenders, cosmetic cases, totes, and crossbody bags. “Fashion is the industry of bags,” he explains. He took note of all of the bags he saw women carrying during his travels and it inspired him. “Everything looked so heavy-duty,” he says. “Maybe some lightness is good for women when everything is so complex. Simplicity is good.”