There are some luxury brands that shout at the top of their lungs about their exclusivity. Then there’s the House of Goyard that uses elusiveness and discreetness as their biggest strengths.
A company representative once said in an interview that luxury is a dream and revealing too much of what goes behind the scenes might spoil the magic. It clearly reflects the company’s take on advertisement and promotion of which their’s is interestingly non-existent.
Let’s take a closer look into this secretive bag-maker who’s intriguing identity has made one of the most coveted brands of the world’s wealthiest.
A Sneak Peek Into The History
Founded in 1853 in Paris, Goyard is probably the oldest leather goods maker that is still going strong. Louis Vuitton was established one year later. The house also existed earlier under the name of its founder and previous owner Pierre-Francois Martin. In 1853, Francois Goyard purchased the company from Martin’s successor and renamed it The House Of Goyard.
The No-Promotion Strategy
Interestingly, the brand does not advertise, sell online, or promote in any other form. You will not find any celebrity endorsements, product launches, or fashion week parties. Yet, this brand is well sought-after by the richest and they like the idea of letting other people guess the luxury brand they are carrying. They rarely make their products available to the mass market in the fear of losing their exclusivity and believe in ‘whispering in the ears’ to build a buzz.
The Goyard Secret
The ‘Y’ print on Goyard products is not just the mid-letter from Goyard but it also symbolizes Goyards’ origins when the men of the family worked as log drivers, directing lumber on river waters using fork tools. Just like any family secret, the manufacturing process of Goyard products remains a closely guarded secret. Initially, the bags were hand painted which involved ground-color application.
The company had temporarily stopped production after WWII and resumed its operation in 1998 with the introduction of new colors apart from the black shade. They also have a special edition – pink Goyardine introduced in 2008 and it quickly became a collector’s favorite.
The Choice of the Rich And Famous
Their leather handbags and luggage are often spotted in the hands of celebrities like the Duchess of Sussex, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Meghan Markle, Chef lain Ducasse, and Kanye West. In the past, the brand was favored by popular historic figures like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Karl Lagerfeld, Pablo Picasso, Jacques Cartier, and Coco Chanel.
What Products Can Be Bought From The House of Goyard
Goyard products don’t change in every season and they offer four main product lines:
- travel bags including trunks, trolley cases, luggage, and weekender bags
- a wide selection of handbags and totes
- customized Goyard products
- and exclusive pet accessories including leashes, collars, bowls, and dishes for pets. Their pet products are sold exclusively at the Chic du Chien boutique in Paris.
Where to Buy the House of Goyard Products
Maison Goyard does not have products listed on their website. They do not provide any prices online, not even through email. The company philosophy is to interact directly with customers coming to their stores.
If you want a Maison Goyard piece, here is a list of their stores that you can visit:
MAISON GOYARD
405 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
CHINA WORLD MALL
Shop L121-123, Zone 1, 1 Avenue Jianguomenwai, Beijing 100004
MAISON GOYARD
4, Avenue de l’Impératrice 64200 Biarritz
CHENGDU IFS
Shop L147, N°1 Section 3 Hongxing Road, Chengdu 610021
NEIMAN MARCUS
737 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
THE PENINSULA ARCADE
Shop E10, Ground Floor, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
PACIFIC PLACE
Shop 362, Level 3, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong
KYOTO TAKASHIMAYA
1F, 52 Nishiiru Shincho, Shijo-dori, Kawaramachi, Shimogyo‑Ku, Kyoto 600‑8520
JR NAGOYA TAKASHIMAYA
3F, Meieki 1-1-4, Nakamura-Ku, Nagoya 450-6001
TAKASHIMAYA OSAKA
2F, Namba 5-1-5, Chuo-Ku, Osaka 542-0076
UMEDA HANKYU
2F, Kakudacho 8-7, Kita-Ku, Osaka 530-8350
MAISON GOYARD
116 Mount Street, Mayfair, London W1K 3NH
BAL HARBOUR SHOPS
9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, FL 33154
MAISON GOYARD
Via Gesù, 2 (angle Via Montenapoleone), 20121 Milano
MAISON GOYARD
17-19, avenue de Monte-Carlo 98000 Monaco
KYOTO TAKASHIMAYA
1F, 52 Nishiiru Shincho, Shijo-dori, Kawaramachi, Shimogyo‑Ku, Kyoto 600‑8520
JR NAGOYA TAKASHIMAYA
3F, Meieki 1-1-4, Nakamura-Ku, Nagoya 450-6001
MAISON GOYARD
20 East 63rd Street, New York, NY 10065
BARNEYS NEW YORK
660 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021
BERGDORF GOODMAN’S
754 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019
BERGDORF GOODMAN’S MEN
745 Fifth Avenue at 58th Street, New York, NY 10019
MAISON GOYARD
233, rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris
MAISON GOYARD | LE CHIC DU CHIEN
352, rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris
PRINTEMPS DE LA MODE HAUSSMANN
64, boulevard Haussmann 75009 Paris
MAISON GOYARD
118 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94108
SHOPPING JK IGUATEMI
Av. Pres. Juscelino Kubitschek, 2041 – Piso térreo, 04543-011 São Paulo
GALLERIA DEPARTMENT STORE
1F East, 343 Apgujeong-Ro, Gangnam‑Gu, Seoul 06008
HYUNDAI COEX DEPARTMENT STORE
1F, 517 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 06164
SHINSEGAE DEPARTMENT STORE
2F, 176 Sinbanpo-Ro, Seoch-Gu, Seoul 06546
PLAZA 66
Shop 225A, 1266 Nanjing Xi Road, Shanghai 200000
TAKASHIMAYA SHOPPING CENTRE
Shop 01-11 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road, Singapore 238872
ISETAN SHINJUKU
4F, Main Building, Shinjuku 3‑14‑1, Shinjuku‑Ku, Tokyo 160‑0022
TAKASHIMAYA NIHOMBASHI
1F, Nihombashi 2-4-1, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo 103-0027
Contact Information
Website: www.goyard.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/goyardofficial/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Goyard
Twitter: twitter.com/Goyard
Check out our list of 5 Luxury Men’s Backpacks for Everyday Use
Featured image courtesy of adweek.com
