Brands like Moynat are rare jewels. At least, it’s what LVMH’s Bernard Arnault must have thought when acquiring the traditional trunk and leather goods maker for his own Groupe Arnault back in 2010, with the aim of keeping traditional French know-how alive. Founded in 1849, Moynat is one of the oldest brands of its kind, and has made a name for itself for its signature trucks and bags (Le Réjane), and its new, more contemporary looking range of leather satchels and colorful shopper bags.
Located on the 348, rue Saint Honoré in Paris, the Moynat boutique is just a few steps away from the brand’s atelier, where the bags are handcrafted by a small team of designers that are supervised by Moynat’s Creative Director, Ramesh Nair, a former designer for French luxury brands Hermès and Christian Lacroix.
“Moynat’s take on design is about respecting tradition and savoir-faire in the first place,” Nair told Style.com/Arabia. ‘’We don’t follow fashion’s frantic pace—sometimes it takes months for us to create a new bag, to find the right leather, to find the right shape and technical procedures, but we need this time in order to provide the best quality. I must say that as a brand, we are very privileged to be able to produce and develop everything here in Paris, just around the corner from our boutique.”
Although it took Moynat a while to develop its retail activities outside of the City of Light, plans for new sales points in Asia and the United States are now under way. Guillaume Davin, the brand’s CEO, stressed the fact that it was not about “conquering the industry all of a sudden, but rather about meticulously planning projects and openings,” such as the Moynat Trunk Show, which was showcased at the Isetan Shinjuku department store in Tokyo.
“London has been one of our earliest international customers; the opening of a boutique in Mayfair was quite natural for us,” added Davin, referring to the newly opened boutique on 112 Mount Street last week. “Quality takes time, and we want to build a personal relationship with our customers all over the world. Our sales points have to come with a custom-made feeling—it’s not about the quantity at all. We are looking forward to make our first steps in the Middle East as well, and it will probably be something similar to our pop-up in Tokyo or a special presentation. We need to discover our Middle East customers first before setting foot for good.’’
—Elisabeta Tudor
