Gwenaël Nicolas was born in 1966 in Bretagne, France, and lives and works in Tokyo.
He studied at l’ESAG (Ecole Superieure d’Arts Graphiques et d’Architecture) in Paris where he graduated in 1988 with a masters in interior design. After 2 years in London at the Royal College of Art, he graduated with a masters in industrial design.
In 1991 he moved to Tokyo to collaborate with water studio (Cassina Ixc. Boomerang Sofa) and Issey Miyake for interior design (Pleats Please Shops) and perfume design (le Feu d’Issey).
In 1998 he founded his studio ‘Curiosity’ with producer Reiko Miyamoto which is involved in product design, interior and architecture.
He has been commissioned to direct the graphic and architectural design of Moynat.
Interview Source.irenebrination.typepad.com
When you were commissioned to direct the graphic and architectural design of Moynat, what did you know about this historical trunk maker?
Gwenaël Nicolas: It was the first time I heard about the brand, so I was surprised to discover it was established before Louis Vuitton and in fact it was the third most important trunk maker of that period. Not having preconceived ideas about the brand, I was able to discover and look at it with a totally fresh eye.
Were you inspired by any of the Moynat products - by a specific trunk, for example - while designing the shop?
Gwenaël Nicolas:The boutique is designed to be an “écrin” to present the products. To design a boutique you have to place yourself outside the brand and create a process of discovery, wondering what is the first impression you want to express, how you can create a new identity for Moynat that will be relevant to today’s consumers and how a luxury brand can establish itself in today’s world. Looking at the original trunk I realised it was very simple and modern, especially for what regarded the choice of materials, the colour palette and the uniqueness of the shapes that looked quite peculiar to me until I realised the trunks were specifically designed for individual clients with specific needs.
What fascinated you the most about this project?
Gwenaël Nicolas: It was a very rare project since I had to create everything from the physical space to the graphics for the book. My work is usually very modern and conceptual so it was a real challenge to start with something that already existed, dig into the huge amount of information and extract the essential. It was very important to perceive it as a modern brand rooted in the past, as reference emerges from time to time especially through the display of the products more than in the boutique itself. This project was not developed around a brief but totally as an open book and my task was writing the next chapter.
While researching for this project, what did you learn about the work of this historical malletier?
Gwenaël Nicolas: I discovered that most trunk makers were doing a lot of pieces on order, so if you had something very precious to carry you used to visit a malletier. Each piece was unique and would fit perfectly to the function: if you had a Bugatti they would create a curved trunk that would perfectly fit in the car for example.
There seems to be some Art Deco moods in the circular space around the columns, did you take inspiration from the architecture/design that was fashionable in the heydays of this brand?
Gwenaël Nicolas: Paris is very much influenced by the Art Deco period and this is a boutique in Paris. I wanted to make the most beautiful façade in rue Saint-Honoré, very impactful but also very respectful of the place. Moynat’s “havane” colour, the delicate lighting at night and the bronze metal frame give the boutique a strong and graphic look, yet the store perfectly fits in with the environment surrounding it, so it’s designed to last.
Gwenaël Nicolas: It was the first time I heard about the brand, so I was surprised to discover it was established before Louis Vuitton and in fact it was the third most important trunk maker of that period. Not having preconceived ideas about the brand, I was able to discover and look at it with a totally fresh eye.
Were you inspired by any of the Moynat products - by a specific trunk, for example - while designing the shop?
Gwenaël Nicolas:The boutique is designed to be an “écrin” to present the products. To design a boutique you have to place yourself outside the brand and create a process of discovery, wondering what is the first impression you want to express, how you can create a new identity for Moynat that will be relevant to today’s consumers and how a luxury brand can establish itself in today’s world. Looking at the original trunk I realised it was very simple and modern, especially for what regarded the choice of materials, the colour palette and the uniqueness of the shapes that looked quite peculiar to me until I realised the trunks were specifically designed for individual clients with specific needs.
Gwenaël Nicolas: It was a very rare project since I had to create everything from the physical space to the graphics for the book. My work is usually very modern and conceptual so it was a real challenge to start with something that already existed, dig into the huge amount of information and extract the essential. It was very important to perceive it as a modern brand rooted in the past, as reference emerges from time to time especially through the display of the products more than in the boutique itself. This project was not developed around a brief but totally as an open book and my task was writing the next chapter.
While researching for this project, what did you learn about the work of this historical malletier?
Gwenaël Nicolas: I discovered that most trunk makers were doing a lot of pieces on order, so if you had something very precious to carry you used to visit a malletier. Each piece was unique and would fit perfectly to the function: if you had a Bugatti they would create a curved trunk that would perfectly fit in the car for example.
Gwenaël Nicolas: Paris is very much influenced by the Art Deco period and this is a boutique in Paris. I wanted to make the most beautiful façade in rue Saint-Honoré, very impactful but also very respectful of the place. Moynat’s “havane” colour, the delicate lighting at night and the bronze metal frame give the boutique a strong and graphic look, yet the store perfectly fits in with the environment surrounding it, so it’s designed to last.
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