HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Moynat is a Parisian trunkmaker, founded in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in 1849 by Octavie and François Coulembier. They collaborated with specialist Pauline Moynat in travel goods to open the company's first store at Avenue de l'Opera, France. The house participated in various World's Fairs.


History


Early years

The House of Moynat was the result of a meeting between Pauline Moynat, who sold travel goods in the Opera district of
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, and the Coulembier family, manufacturers from the '' faubourgs''—the inner suburbs to the north of the city. In 1849, the trunk makers opened their first atelier. They joined with Pauline Moynat to open the Moynat boutique in 1869 on what was then the Place du Théâtre Français (now the Place André Malraux), opposite the famous
Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...
. Moynat patented its first inventions for packaging materials in 1854. The label was the first to use hardened
gutta-percha Gutta-percha is a tree of the genus ''Palaquium'' in the family Sapotaceae, which is primarily used to create a high-quality latex of the same name. The material is rigid, naturally biologically Chemically inert, inert, resilient, electrically n ...
waterproofing to produce its trunks and packing boxes. In 1870, Moynat brought out the wicker trunk, known as the " English trunk" or "Moynat trunk". The boutique was situated at the center of Haussmann's redesigned Paris. Following the construction of the
Avenue de l'Opéra The Avenue de l'Opéra () was created from 1864 to 1879 as part of Haussmann's renovation of Paris. It is situated in the center of the city, running northwest from the Louvre to the Palais Garnier, the primary opera house of Paris (until the ope ...
in 1876, it took pride of place at path number 1. File:DiligenceMoynatWeb.jpg, A Moynat horse cart, 1880 File:PhotoBoutiqueWeb.jpg, The first Moynat Boutique Avenue de l'Opéra in 1869 File:PhotoBoutiqueInterieurAWeb.jpg, Interior of the Moynat Boutique, 1907


1905–1976


Collaboration with Henri Rapin

In 1889, Jules Coulembier created a new system of lightweight trunks, followed in 1910 by the invention of an extra-light model.
National Industrial Property Institute (France) The National Industrial Property Institute (, ; INPI) is the national intellectual property office of France, in charge of patents, trademarks and industrial design rights. It is a department of France's Ministry of Economics and Finance. INPI' ...
The House of Moynat also produced a series of security mechanisms for its trunks. In 1905, the Moynat began a long-lasting collaboration with Henri Rapin. Rapin designed the logos of the House, the Moynat monogram, illustrated the product catalogues and conceived the models presented at universal and international exhibitions. In 1907, the Coulembier family began construction on a model factory at 15 rue Coysevox up at
Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...
. Moynat was a regular participant in the
World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...
s since the second edition in Paris in 1867. The house also took part in the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900,
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
in 1910, was appointed jury member at the
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
exhibition in 1911 and was awarded two gold medals and two special prizes at Ghent in 1913. In 1925, Moynat broke the record at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels, where its automobile trunks were awarded a ''Diplôme d’Honneur'' by its peers together with gold, silver and bronze medals.
Journal Officiel de la République Française The ''Official Journal of the French Republic'' (), also known as the ''JORF'' or ''JO'', is the government gazette of the French Republic. It publishes the major legal official information from the national Government of France, the French Pa ...
, January 5, 1926


1989–present

Orcofi, the Vuitton family's holding company, bought Malles et Voyages in 1989, following the disposal of the bulk of its shares in
LVMH LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French multinational holding company and conglomerate that specializes in luxury goods and has its headquarters in Paris, France. The company was formed in 1987 through the ...
. Orcofi's CEO, Vuitton's former President
Henry Racamier Henri Serge Racamier (June 25, 1912 – March 29, 2003) was a French industrialist and businessman. He was primarily known for co-founding the luxury conglomerate LVMH and turning Louis Vuitton into an internationally recognized brand with billio ...
(1912–2003), had planned to relaunch Moynat as a competitor to
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
. However, Orcofi was eventually sold to
AXA Axa S.A. is a French multinational insurance corporation headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It also provides investment management and other financial services via its subsidiaries. As of 2024, it is the fourth largest financi ...
in 1996. Luxury goods holding company, Luvanis SA, bought the rights into Moynat in the late 2000s, developed a revival plan and assigned the brand to Groupe Arnault.
LVMH LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French multinational holding company and conglomerate that specializes in luxury goods and has its headquarters in Paris, France. The company was formed in 1987 through the ...
CEO
Bernard Arnault Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault (; born 5 March 1949) is a French businessman, investor, and art collector. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company. Arnault is one of the richest individuals in the ...
's holding company bought Moynat in 2010. In December 2011, Moynat reopened with a store at 348 Rue Saint-Honoré, followed by shops in London in 2014, Hong Kong, Beijing in 2015, Tokyo, New York, Seoul, Taipei in 2016, Singapore in 2017 and Dubai in 2018. Nicholas Knightly was hired as its new creative director in November of 2022. In December 2022, musician Pharrell Williams partnered on the launch of a bag in collaboration with Moynat. In 2023, Moynat scheduled a world tour, the Moynat World Tour.'''' It consists of a roving pop-up. The tour launched in Paris at Le Bon Marche Rive Gauche on February 18. The tour also celebrated and coincided with the 103rd anniversary of Moynats Toile 1920 M, the canvas that is used for their made-to-order luggage.


See also

* Au Départ * Aux Etats-Unis *
Goyard Goyard is a French trunk maker founded in 1853 in Paris. The company originated as Maison Morel, which was later acquired by François Goyard (1828-1890), establishing the Goyard family in the trade of trunk making and luxury packing. His son E ...
*
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...


References


Bibliography

* ''Bagages en escale'', Musée de la Chemiserie et de l'Elégance Masculine * Barre Fils, M.A. de la, ''De la Gutta-Percha et de son application aux dentures artificielles'', Victor Masson, 1852 * Brunhammer, Yvonne, ''Catalogue de l’exposition des Porcelaines de Sèvres de style Art Déco au musée Teien de Tokyo'' 1993 * Caracalla, Jean-Paul, ''Le goût du Voyage – Histoire de la Compagnie des Wagons-lits'', Flammarion, 2001 * Centorame, Bruno (dir.), ''Autour de la Madeleine. Art, littérature et Société'', Paris, Action artistique de la Ville de Paris, 2005 * Chapel, Edmond, ''Le Caoutchouc et la Gutta-Percha'', Ed. Marchal et Billiard, 1892 * Devauges, Jean-Denys, ''Le voyage en France : du maître de poste au chef de gare'', 1740–1914, Réunion des musées nationaux, 1997 * Espanet, Luisa, ''Valises & Compagnies'', Genleman Editeur, 1987 * Gregory, Alexis, ''L'âge d'or dur voyage 1880-1939'', Chêne, 1990 * Havard, Henry, ''Dictionnaire de l'ameublement et de la décoration depuis le XIIIe siècle jusqu’à nos jours'', Fairault, 1901. * ''Invitation au voyage'', catalogue de l'exposition organisé par l'Union Centrale des Ars décoratifs, Paris, musée des Arts décoratifs, 1987 * Kjellberg, Pierre, ''Art Déco, les maîtres du mobilier, le décor des paquebots'', Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2004. * Labourdette, Jean Henri, ''Un siècle de carrosserie française'', Edita, 1972 * Loyer, François (dir.), ''Autour de l'Opéra. Naissance de la ville moderne'', Action artistique de la Ville de Paris, 1995 * Rauch, André, ''Vacances en France de 1830 à nos jours'', Hachette Littérature, 2001 * Rolland, Jean-Philippe, Kieffer-Rolland, Marie, ''Restauration des malles de voyage'', Eyrolles, 2008 * Savary de Brûlons, Jérôme, ''Dictionnaire universel du commerce'', Editions Jacques Estienne, 1723–1730 {{Authority control Bags (fashion) Clothing brands of France French companies established in 1849 Fashion accessory brands High fashion brands Luggage brands Luggage manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Paris LVMH brands