Is Bernard Arnault Trying To Get Goyard’s Goat?
Often confused for Goyard, Moynat just might be LVMH’s secret weapon hiding in plain sight. With Louis Vuitton and Dior running a popularity contest, Moynat gets to stay low-key. But is it a stealth brand or could Moynat be a genuine simulation of a brand LVMH can’t have?
JUST ANOTHER TRUNK BRAND?
Founded in 1849 by Pauline Moynat —yes, a woman, and decades before Jeanne Lanvin, was the first to helm her own luxury brand at the height of patriarchy in the world of luggage and luxury—the brand quickly became synonymous with innovation, craftsmanship, and travel.
Long before travel was about “Instagrammable” airports and designer roller bags, Moynat was crafting trunks that were both functional and formidable pieces: Art that could travel. Yet, despite years on the scene, Moynat has remained mysterious.
THE KNIGHT IN SHINING LVMH ARMOR
Over the years, Moynat’s mystery cost it relevance among its heritage counterparts — quietly languishing on the vine, overlooked, ripe for a glow up. Then, in walks Bernard Arnault, the man with a plan who wanted Goyard. Perhaps he was thinking, if I can’t have the real thing, I’m okay with a genuine simulation.
Imagine revamping Moynat and setting up shop just steps away from Goyard on Paris’ famed Rue Saint-Honoré in 2011. Talk about trolling. But does Arnault want Moynat to be Goyard or just beat them at their own game? Their flagship store at 937 Madison Ave in March 2016 — it lasted four years, permanently closing its doors around 2020. But Goyard’s luxury game in New York is solid. In fact, they relocated to 699 Madison Ave, just across the intersection face à face from Hermès.
NOT THE USUAL LVMH PLAYBOOK
Moynat is locking in on its stealth reputation. Goyard is everywhere but Moynat is on the yacht. Without all of Goyard’s fanfare, it’s able to focus on that traditional French savoir faire craftsmanship and detailing. However, Moynat still has to “get its weight up” to stand toe-to-toe with Goyard on resale. Furthermore, it doesn’t have the mainstream recognition but then again neither did the Maybach.
EVERYWHERE I GO. PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW. WHO WE ARE…
I took a stroll around the Saks flagship on Fifth Avenue a while back and stopped by the Moynat boutique. I checked out the various handbag silhouettes and eavesdropped on comments made by people browsing. A blonde woman walks in with her girlfriend when a green M tote PM catches her eye. “Oh, I love Goyard”, she says to her friend. The client specialist walks towards them with a smile and says, “It isn’t Goyard, but we get that often”.
At a glance, you might think the Moynat monogram print is Goyard—but the monogram is its own language. The silhouettes are distinct, the details quietly refined, and not everyone carries a Moynat bag. Familiar, yes—but to a keen eye surprisingly different.
DOES MOYNAT HAVE AN IDENTITY CRISIS?
I showed several people outside of the fashion industry a Moynat monogram bag and they immediately called it a Goyard. One has to wonder, was that by design or coincidence? Can Moynat get past their ongoing case of mistaken identity? It’s like having a doppelgänger except you aren’t the one who’s famous. So many questions but at the moment, not enough answers. Arnault may be trying to get Goyard’s goat but it looks like they’ve got Moynat by the throat.
