Once Seen, Not Forgotten -- Maison Moynat Opens in London Mayfair

A room of the new gorgeous Moynat "maison de vente" on Mount Street Mayfair

I don't remember the first time that I saw the Eiffel Tower (I'm American as you may know), but the shape of the tower is engraved upon my mind. I don't remember the first time I saw a Moynat bag, but the shape of the bag is engraved upon my mind.

There's complexity in the simplicity of a shape. Even emotions are tied to shapes. Circles are tender and squares are stable. Verticals show strength and horizontals tranquility. Soft curves are rhythm and movement and sharp angles are energy and liveliness.

In the same way that icon Carolyn Bessette Kennedy portrayed style in massive simplicity that translated into something complex, Moynat represents a less-is-more quality to the eye, while the crafting of the product is anything but basic.

There is relief in the elegant simplicity of the products and release from the smack of over-design and the practice of installing trinkets as attempts to make brands more recognizable.

There is also an intelligence factor to Moynat products--as creating bags, luggage, and briefcases takes into account how the body interacts with the item, and so an ergonomic intellect exists within the art.

The Limousine Attache Case is ergonomically designed to interact with the body

The Moynat Pauline -- A Silhouette Designed for Both Genders

The combination of simplicity and intelligence creates allure, but there also is something about Moynat's way of doing things that commands respect...

Products aren't restricted for distribution in order to make a product appear more desirable, and lawsuits are not used as public relations campaigns rather than as a means of protecting a design--but instead the real concentration is on crafting bags and luggage that give pleasure and appreciation to the eye and delivers straight-forward functionality. A type of French zen, if you will.

Even with a mantra of drawing inspiration from core Moynat historical designs, there is no hyper interest in doing historical storied-jumping-jacks to create big impressions, although Moynat indeed has a rich history beginning in 1849, about the same time other great French names are introduced, like Hermes, Vuitton, and Goyard (all entering Paris within a decade before/after Moynat's debut).

Moynat sheds the historical hype to focus on the bags…the briefcases…the satchels…the luggage. And all this peaceful sanity is precisely what creates an environment that allows for full focus on the art itself.

ARTISAN CRAFTSMANSHIP

Artisan at Work Video @ moynat.com

The financial fall of mass-culture apparel producer Abercrombie and Fitch in 2009, signaled the beginning of the end of a time when ''labels'' were revered (as even today's headlines report A&F No Profits, Only Losses).

This mass culture revolt causes us to witness the marvel of people veering away from the "perceived prestige" of a product name and towards the quality of the product itself.

While this public backlash is bad news for high end companies who count on customers who desire objects with a haute couture name, it is good news for Moynat, who happens to have the couture name, but keeps its mission focused on crafting products instead of exerting inordinate energy on promoting its (quite wonderful) product name. This head-on approach of foregoing marketing hype is something that is easy to like.

Special Crafting Features:

Attaches/Briefcases: Linings are nailed, not glued as the briefcase is made of just one piece of wood sculpted to perfectly merge with the lid. No less than 450 brass nails are hand-nailed into the case with a special patented hand-cast cat's tongue lock installed to secure the case.

Handbags: Superlative grade leather, including hand hammered stitching--a traditional leather goods practice that is rarely practiced today.

Luggage: Crafting is based on the design of original Moynat luggage, with nails placed tightly in place, with the trademark of spacing nails precisely 7 millimeters apart.

If you want to buy a Moynat creation, you will have to visit the Paris "maison de vente" or the recently opened London boutique, as things here are done just like in a bygone era...with no advertising and no online sales.

For those who are able to frequent the gorgeous London store (located on Mount street in Mayfair, opposite The Connaught Hotel where Hugo's favorite french chef - Hélène Darroze - has her starred restaurant) you will have the pleasure to see (thanks to Andy Barnham for providing several exclusive photos):