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GOYARD - an iconic true luxury brand
Review 29 August 2010
Established in France in 1835 initially as a trunk maker, GOYARD is today the best illustration of a true luxury brand. Exceptional quality, creativity and exclusivity have been the three core features which have characterized the Goyard brand ever since it was set up. Goyard has long had a devoted clientele of celebrities and royalty. Aristocrats such as the Grand Duke of Russia, the Maharajah of Kapurthala and the Duke of Windsor all traveled with Goyard luggage. More recently, one of the biggest fans of the brand has been Karl Lagerfeld. Other celebrity clients include: Sofia Coppola, Alain Ducasse, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Gwynneth Paltrow etc.
Unlike rivals such as Louis Vuitton or Gucci, the Goyard cases feature an original pattern of interlaced chevrons instead of displaying monogram. Also, GOYARD is distributed in less than 10 locations worldwide, Paris remaining the only showroom of the brand. Another probably shocking aspect in today’s fast moving economy, GOYARD has no advertising budget, therefore, its advertising is made mostly through word of the mouth and through the limited retail points.
Other unique features of Goyard include boutique in Paris solely dedicated to pet accessories as well as camping accessories, which was open in 2008. Mention should also be made that Goyard holds the patent for an original "Malle Bureau" (‘’Office Trunk’’) - a portable trunk which includes shelves and a writing table.
Earlier this year, Goyard launched an anniversary book which includes the history of the Goyard family, the achievements during the Paris Expo Universelle in 1900 and the creation of the noble facade of the Paris store. But it is more generally about the art of travel and its blossoming in the 20th century from early trains to grand hotels. One cannot, will not and should not read this delicately created tome on a Kindle or an iPad. For every piece of its construction, over a period of seven years, is an ode to artisans: handmade paper cajoled from the rare remaining manufacturers in France; and depth of print from traditional technique. As the pages turn, with their deep-grain photographs and written passages, some are blank, except for subtle intaglio plate marks. In their natural whiteness, produced with a 500-year-old technique of hemp lightened with the petals of a desert flower, the hand-cut pages resonate with craftsmanship. They offer the possibility of personalized heraldic engraving, still produced by the French printer Devambez, along with traditional letterpress printing. Only 233 pieces were made, each book with its own trunk and are only available to clients and collectors, fetching up to USD 6.000.
Throughout the years, the brand has not only remained loyal to its roots but has also maintained its iconic image through exclusivity and prestige. There are few such luxury brands in the world, another example being British Asprey.