L'histoire

MOYNAT is one of the oldest French trunk-makers that was founded in Paris in 1849 by Octavie and François Coulembier. This was during the height of rail travel and the creation of France's railway network. The first workshop was set in 13, rue Capron Paris. They joined forces in 1869 with Pauline Moynat, a specialist in travel goods, to open the first store at 5, place du Théâtre Français. (now the Place André Malraux) facing the famous Comédie Française. Pauline was very much ahead of her time as a lady entrepreneur. The boutique was situated at the heart of Haussmann’s redesigned Paris, and following the construction of the Avenue de l'Opéra in 1878, it took pride of place at nº.1, later to become the oldest shop on the avenue.

MOYNAT was one of the very first who specialized in leather goods at that time. They became known for their traditional know-how and skills excelling in handcrafted, made to order luggage and travel pieces. The collaboration between Moynat and the Coulembier family continued with François' sons Jules Ferdinand, Edmond, Louis and Maurice. The House reached the height of its popularity under the direction of the founder’s grandsons, profiting from the rise of the automobile to become a design reference in the context of this new mode of transport.

In 1907 the Coulembier family began construction on a model-factory at 15, rue Coysevox up at Montmartre. With some 1500m² of space situated in a five-storey building, the factory employed more than 250 workers, most of whom were specialist artisans, who built all the MOYNAT trunks. For the first time ever in Paris all the specialist skills associated with trunk-making were gathered together in one place.

MOYNAT patented its first inventions for packaging materials in 1854. The label was the first to use hardened gutta-percha waterproofing, an Indonesian sap that guaranteed trunks to be watertight. In 1873, Moynat brought out the wicker trunk, known as the “English trunk” or “Malle Anglaise”, a lightweight structure consisting of a wicker frame, covered with a varnished canvas and leather trimming. The product weighed a mere two kilos and was highly sought after by travellers wishing to avoid excess baggage fees. This trunk was subsequently improved and a new patent filed in 1889.

Lightweight, wicker Moynat trunk (English trunk), tarred and varnished canvas edged with sturdy cowhide. 1879, Collection Moynat Paris. www.MOYNAT.com

In 1878 Pauline Moynat created first range of ladies' handbags and "sacs mignons" – with chamois linings.

In 1889 Jules Coulembier perfected a whole new system of lightweight trunks, followed in 1910 by the invention of a extra-light, unbreakable model. The House of Moynat also produced a series of security mechanisms for its trunks.

La serrure MOYNAT (Modèle déposé). Lock patented by Moynat c.1920.

MOYNAT was a regular participant in World's Fairs since the second edition in Paris in 1867. The house also took part in the Exposition universelle in Paris in 1900, Brussels in 1910 and was appointed jury member at the Turin exhibition in 1911, and was awarded two gold medals and two special prizes at Ghent in 1913.

In the 1870s, MOYNAT continued to pioneer innovations in the design of trunks made to order, notably by offering camphor trunks specially designed to transport furs.

From 1900 onwards, MOYNAT became the indisputable market leader in automobile luggage, for which the house developed a number of patented products including the limousine trunk with a concave bottom (as seen on the blog's banner) in 1910. In 1928 came the side or lateral sliding trunk, a mechanism that foreshadowed the development of integrated trunks in vehicles from the 1930s onwards. The label collaborated with a number of different car designers such as Bugatti, Binder, Voisin, Labourdette and the Mühlbacher House.
Beyond its trunks, MOYNAT went on to produce a wide range of toiletries, small leather goods, together with textile goods, paper products and tableware, creating a whole lifestyle for the house, including products such as pique-nique baskets and hold-alls. Automobile trunks were offered in colours, adapting the coating to the exact tone of the vehicle’s bodywork.
MOYNAT luggage was varied in pattern and design, ranging from monochrome or beige stipes (1860s/70s), cheques "damier" (from 1880) or the distinctive Moynat monogram (1920s onwards).

The colour havane was favored above the rest. Derived from different tones of leather, this combination of orange with tawny brown was to become one of House’s visual codes.

Baggage-hold trunk, brass corners, Moynat Damier canvas. 1904, Collection Moynat Paris. www.MOYNAT.com

However, it was in 1925 that MOYNAT broke the record at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels, where its automobile trunks were a great success, awarded a Diplôme d’Honneur by its peers together with a number of gold, silver and bronze medals, a record of achievement that distinguished MOYNAT as the leading French malletier (trunk maker) of the time.

The piece de resistance of MOYNAT's contribution to the Exposition Internationale was the red morocco leather trunk, a rare piece designed by the young artistic director Henri Rapin. The much-admired trunk took away the Diplôme d'Honneur, marking the beginning of a profitable collaboration between artist and trunk-maker.

Trunk in red, morocco leather with a frieze of studs encircling palm leaves in blue, lapis lazuli leather, designed by Henri Rapin. 1925, Collection Moynat Paris.

MOYNAT began a long lasting collaboration with Henri Rapin as its creative director. Mr. Rapin designed the logos of the House, the Moynat monogram, illustrated the product catalogues and conceived the models presented at universal and international exhibitions.

Logo Designed by Henri Rapin that was affixed to trunks

MOYNAT closed its boutique at the Place du Théâtre Français in 1976. Its trunks however continued to travel around the world. The Scholl family bought the rights to the house in the early 1980s for use by its company Malles et Voyages. Orcofi, the Vuitton family’s holding company, bought Malles et Voyages in 1989, following the disposal of the bulk of its shares in LVMH. Orcofi’s CEO, Vuitton's former President Henry Racamier, had planned to relaunch Moynat as a competitor to Louis Vuitton. However Orcofi was eventually sold to AXA in 1996 and its assets were stripped, thus the ambitious plans to relaunch Moynat never saw the light of day. Luxury holding company Luvanis SA bought the rights to Moynat in 2009. Groupe Arnault, LVMH's CEO Bernard Arnault's holding company bought Moynat in 2010 with plans to relaunch operations by 2011.

Groupe Arnault, LVMH's CEO Bernard Arnault's holding company bought Moynat in 2010 with plans to relaunch operations by 2011.

By December 2011, Maison MOYNAT opened its doors to a new generation. (Source: Wikipedia)