A malletier is, in French, literally a trunk-maker, or manufacturer of

luggage Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip ...

and

suitcase A suitcase is a form of luggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first suitcases appeared in the late 19th century due to the increased popularity of ...

Trunkmaking

French philosopher

Denis Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the ''Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a promine ...

and

Jean d'Alembert Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert (; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''Encyclopéd ...

made mention of a ''Malletier'' and his techniques in their ''

Encyclopédie ''Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers'' (English: ''Encyclopedia, or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts''), better known as ''Encyclopédie'', was a general encyclopedia publis ...

, ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des métiers et des arts'' (1713-1784

File:Malletier-1.JPG File:Malletier-2.JPG

Notable malletiers

French malletiers

The first houses of malletiers appeared in Paris the middle of the 19th century. The most famous historical malletiers include:

Au Départ Au Départ (which translate as "At the departure") is a Parisian trunkmaker founded in Paris in 1834. Au Départ is considered as one of four greatest French trunk-makers alongside Louis Vuitton, Goyard and Moynat. History The Origins ...

, founded in 1834 upon the advent of railway travel. In 1847 Au Départ opened a shop at 7 boulevard Denain in Paris, opposite the

Gare du Nord The Gare du Nord (; English: ''station of the North'' or ''Northern Station''), officially Paris-Nord, is one of the six large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. The station accommodates the trains that run between the capit ...

. The brand was revived in 2019. Le Bazar du Voyage, established in 1843 and currently disappeared, is known to be the oldest French malletier. Aux États-Unis, established in 1845 and disappeared in the late 1980s. The store was located at 229 rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. The house was famous for the monogrammed canvases, composed of diamonds. La Malle Bernard, established in 1846, is one of the first ''malletiers'' to have developed a complete line of luggage and remains as the "oldest trunk maker in existence.

Moynat Moynat is one of the oldest Parisian trunkmakers. Their first studio was opened in Paris in 1849 founded by Octavie and François Coulembier. They joined forces with a specialist in travel goods named Pauline Moynat, to open the first store of ...

was established in Paris in 1849 by Pauline Moynat. The House had its own factory in Paris. The store located at the corner of the Avenue de l'Opéra remained opened for one hundred years. In December 2011, a new Moynat boutique was opened at 348 rue Saint-Honoré

Goyard Maison Goyard, or simply Goyard, is a French trunk and leather goods maker established in 1792 as Maison Martin in Paris; the company also operated as Maison Morel, before becoming Maison Goyard in 1853. The brand is known for a certain amount ...

opened its boutique in 1853 at 233,

rue Saint-Honoré The rue Saint-Honoré is a street in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. It is named after the collegial situated in ancient times within the cloisters of Saint-Honoré. The street, on which are located a number of museums and upscale bo ...

in Paris. Edmé Goyard worked as a ''malletier'' then known as Maison Morel (founded in 1792), which his son, François bought out in 1853. At that time, the company was formally renamed Goyard. Goyard became a favorite ''malletier'' of the international high society including the Grand Duke of Russia, the Maharajah de Kapurthala, and The Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Goyard is known for their special orders

Louis Vuitton (brand), Louis Vuitton, founded in 1854, was the first ''malletier'' to manufacture a flat-topped trunk, "gray Trianon canvas flat trunk" that was lightweight and airtight. All trunks before this had rounded tops for water to run off, and thus could not be stacked. It remains as the world's most popular luggage maker today

Malletiers outside France

*Outside of Europe, notable ''malletiers'' include Innovation, Belber, Haskell Brothers, MM Secor, Clinton, Hartmann, Oshkosh, Molloy, Torode, Truesdale, Wallace, and Taylor.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Pambianco week, ''L’arte di viaggiare alla francese'' ("The French traveling art"), October 1, 2009, pp. 28-32French trunk-makers have its origin in the box-maker and packer business.
Production occupations French brands Luggage brands Luggage manufacturers