The Attract of Goyard

How an previous Paris baggage dwelling that will not advertise makes the toniest bag in the world.By Robert Klara

In 2009, Canadian vogue photographer Tommy Ton was at Paris Fashion Week when he noticed Kanye West—posse in tow—heading his way without other photographers in sight. Ton swung his lens in West’s direction and, a second afterwards, captured among the list of year’s most buzzed-about images. Now, Virtually ten years afterwards, the road-peacock apparel (think: fedoras, leopard prints, gold sneakers) are forgotten. But one particular accent isn’t. West was Keeping a monogrammed briefcase by Goyard, a gesture that vaulted the French baggage manufacturer into the epicenter of hip-hop especially, and superstar lifestyle generally speaking.

Nowadays, Massive Sean is often found along with his Goyard duffles, A£AP Rocky with his blue MM Messenger bag and, obviously, there’s Rihanna, whose 2015 video clip for “Bitch Far better Have My Income” highlighted a Goyard steamer trunk just large enough to hold the body of Riri’s kidnap sufferer. Even factoring hip-hop outside of the combination, Goyard baggage is a celeb favourite lugged close to through the likes of Catherine Deneuve, Hilary Duff, Ozzy Osbourne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon and lots of, numerous Other individuals.

Obviously, if you’re a purchaser of paparazzi photos, you understand all this by now. So listed here’s some thing you won't know: As well as becoming an exceedingly chic, very high priced maker of luggage, Goyard is often a singular anomaly within the realm of selling—a brand that’s fashionable, coveted and famed despite the corporation’s manifold efforts for being none of this stuff.

Headquartered in Paris, Maison Goyard doesn't market, has no compensated endorsers and rarely deigns to speak to your push. Assuming you’re possessed of the $1,200 that’ll buy a base-rung Saint Louis tote, you’ll have no luck purchasing one particular on line, as “Goyard does not engage in any kind of ecommerce,” the website sniffs. As a substitute, you’ll have to go to amongst the company’s 8 locations in the United States. Obviously, there’s also the preowned choice, although even on web sites such as The RealReal, costs for Goyard used luggage perch dangerously near entire freight.

“In phrases of popularity, [Goyard] is up there with Chanel,” notes RealReal’s Main authenticator, Graham Wetzbarger. “There’s not many inventory. It sells incredibly quick, which is why you can command price ranges near to retail.”

How to explain all this? Properly, there’s the Kanye impact, not surprisingly. But Goyard has drawn an distinctive clientele given that François Goyard established your home in 1853. In the Belle Époque ahead, Goyard was ever the luggage of the 1 p.c, trundled onto steamers via the footmen on the Romanovs and the Rockefellers. This happy lineage experienced faded by 1998, when businessman Jean-Michel Signoles ordered the brand. But whilst Signoles opened a completely new atelier and cautiously updated the types, he recognized that, in luxury, considerably less is often more. Even though publicly traded makes like Louis Vuitton scramble to please investors, the fiercely personal Goyard pleases no person apart from customers.

The secret of Goyard, then, is one of planned scarcity. Christina Papale, svp, technique at CBX, calls Goyard a “speakeasy brand name”—not merely do you have to know wherever the doorway is, but The reality that not Anyone receives in just provides to your mystique. Goyard “is basically with the in-the-know über-tasteful,” she reported. “It’s Pretty much intended to not be observed.”

But needless to say, it does get observed—and not just on the likes of Kanye. Seems his daughter North West has a customized $1,four hundred Goyard handbag of her individual. Not undesirable for any 4-calendar year-previous.




The store at 233 Rue Saint-Honoré where by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (bottom correct) arrived to shop. Goyard also made baggage for Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle (base left) and Coco Chanel (Heart).

The store at 233 Rue Saint-Honoré where the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (bottom right) arrived to shop. Goyard also built luggage for Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (bottom still left) and Coco Chanel (Centre).




At its Carcassonne, France, workshop, Goyard nevertheless does the monogramming by hand.

At its Carcassonne, France, workshop, Goyard still does the monogramming by hand.




Kanye West’s exhibiting up at Paris Manner Week 2009 that has a Goyard case handed the brand name a completely new consumer foundation right away.

Kanye West’s demonstrating up at Paris Style Week 2009 that has a Goyard case handed the brand a whole new shopper foundation right away.




Dots and dashes The signature component of any Goyard piece is “Goyardine”—the proprietary canvas that bears an interlocking “Y.” Produced by François Goyard’s son Edmond in 1892, the sample contains very small tick marks that symbolize logs, with the Goyard family members had been lumbermen ahead of they figured out to help make baggage. Initially stenciled by hand, the canvas is currently display-printed.

Dots and dashes The signature element of any Goyard piece is “Goyardine”—the proprietary canvas that bears an interlocking “Y.” Created by François Goyard’s son Edmond in 1892, the pattern is made of tiny tick marks that symbolize get more info logs, for the Goyard family were being lumbermen in advance of they uncovered to generate luggage. Originally stenciled by hand, the canvas has become display-printed.