In March 2020, Moynat announced their new creative director, Nicholas Knightly, who formerly held the role as leather goods designer at Louis Vuitton. The trunk heritage brand tapped Knightly for his forward-thinking ideas to modernize the signature of the house. For his latest collection, he invited GRAZIA to discover the new collection during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2022, located at its Moynat flagship on the picturesque rue Saint Honoré. After an introduction, walkthrough, and naturally talking about the bustling Paris Fashion Week traffic that caused us both to be delayed, Knightly chatted with us on the future of the French heritage house, his first couple days on the job, and favorite bag trends.
GRAZIA: First, congratulations on the exciting new role! You started in March 2020, right amid the coronavirus lockdown. Being from London, how was it working creatively with the team without being together?
Nicholas Knightly: Thank you! There was a little delay to start because of COVID. As soon as we were able to travel again, in July 2020, we got straight to work. I came and got to know the brand, viewed the atelier, and started making things. Then, at the beginning of this year, there was another lockdown that forced us back in. But by that point, we had already got a bunch of stuff going, and we were getting used to Zoom meetings. Samples would be sent from the atelier to me, and then I would send them back with notes, which was fine. You obviously missed some contact with the team, but we’re small, strong, and very agile, so it went pretty smoothly.
G: And now that things are back, I’m sure you’re getting that missed facetime with everyone?
NK: Yes, as I said earlier, today is one of the first that Paris feels back like the old Paris: everyone on the streets, cars beeping their horns and thinking, are we going to fit through that gap between two other vehicles.
G: What were the first couple of weeks on the job like?
NK: As a starting point, we feel like Moynat should be a very forward-looking brand. Still, just coming in, I wanted to shift through everything from the archives. As a heritage brand, I thought it was super important to understand the heritage and take that essence in order to move it forward.
G: What influences from the Moynat archives did you bring into the new collection?
NK: The first few things were pulled from the trunk heritage of the brand. I especially think it’s unique that a lady started the house in the 19th century. Since then, the brand kept modernizing, in the beginning of the 20th century, all these big wheel trunks were created specifically for your cars in the same color, very chic. So we did these mini handheld trunks; all the savoire-faire of the trunk making is there. There’s the hand painting, original locks with a key, and everything you would see if you were traveling on steamships across the Atlantic. It’s such a beautiful thing. It’s been converted to modern life to fit your phone and all your essentials, but you’re buying into a piece of heritage, and you can make it personal and unique.
G: Speaking of personalization and hand-painting, why was this an important marker to bring back?
NK: There’s a lot of heritage and story to it. All the archive trunks have some kind of hand painting to them. It was important because when everything was stacked up on the steamships, people had to find their luggage by their color markers. I love the creativity of it all. The color combinations or even unique symbols capture people’s imaginations.
G: I would totally agree, the colors are done so well.
NK: The colors are so important to the brand. This time for the hand-painting, we tried to choose less obvious colors like this dirty apricot and dirty pink mixed together, it’s absolutely beautiful. Some of the designs are so intricate, like these stickers, all handpainted! It blows my mind how they do it.
G: So I would love to hear from the expert, what are your favorite bag trends right now?
NK: Well, that’s an interesting one. I do love the little crossbody bag look, it’s just so of the moment. I don’t know if you saw my bag but it’s a hugee tote, let me grab it!
*Knightley goes to grab his custom Moynat large tote*
NK: It’s certainly my favorite bag right now. It’s just so practical, whether for an overnight or work. When it doesn’t have so much stuff in it, it’s also very light. They made it for me for Christmas, and I use it nonstop.
G: Do you have an early memory of Moynat?
NK: I actually didn’t know about it (slight laugh). It wasn’t until I was at Vuitton that the CEO at the time told me they were bringing this heritage brand back to life, and I was so fascinated to hear that. To come across this somewhat hidden thing that people don’t know about and dust it off and open it up sounded like a fascinating project. When the offer came, I didn’t even hesitate at all.
