This man knows how to make a fancy trunk
When I was redoing the décor of my home, I knew I wanted a trunk. No, I don’t mean any part of a tree or a car, and I am obviously not referring to men’s swimwear. I mean the old-world travel chest, the sturdy predecessor of the suitcase that you can use as storage or as a statement even if you aren’t travelling on a ship. I use mine as a console in the TV room, under the TV. I had originally wanted to use the trunk as a table, something I’ve seen often, especially in homes that have studies or libraries, but since I have so many DVDs (yes, I am old- fashioned), it made sense to have my trunk under the TV and use it as a place to store the DVDs.
The charm of a trunk is undeniable. I love the feel of the rivets — rugged yet refined. They add panache and do actually make me feel a bit “posh,” which, come to think of it, makes sense.
The word posh supposedly stands for Port Over and Starboard Home. That’s what how the ‘posh set’ travelled when they journeyed from England to India on steamships in the days of the Raj. This ensured them the best view. The English upper class only believed in having the best. Now whether this is true or not, you know that when the swish set travelled, they travelled with bespoke trunks. In fact, both Louis Vuitton (considered Europe’s most powerful fashion house) and Prada (Italy’s most eccentric label) both started as trunk makers. Your trunk was a status symbol, more so if it was made especially for you, that is, bespoke.
One of the oldest trunk makers is Moynat, a brand that opened its 18th store at the newly-expanded Fashion Avenue at The Dubai Mall. Founded in 1849 by Pauline Moynat, the prices are nothing if not premium. You could get yourself a clutch bag for upwards of Dh11,000.
When you walk into the store, you feel like you’ve entered an era in which taking your time was a way of life. And there does exist a set of people for whom trunks — representative of slow fashion — are the epitome of luxury.
Moynat’s creative director is Ramesh Nair. An alumni of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (Delhi), he previously worked with Hermès and Christian Lacroix. In India, he has been referred to as “the Malayali behind Moynat”. Nair has made Paris his home for many years. He isn’t in the habit of making a noise about his success.
I have been at fashion events where he is present and I am yet to interview him in person but he’s coming to town for the official opening of their store in the region next week ahead of which I got an email response from him.
He has been at the creative helm since the French maison was given a second lease of life by Bernard Arnault, the richest name in fashion. Arnault’s conglomerate, LVMH, boasts of some of the biggest names in fashion: Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs, Loewe, and Céline, to name a few.
Eight years ago, Arnault added Moynat to his portfolio even though at that point it was a brand that had been dormant since 1976 and few in the fashion world even knew about it. What’s interesting is that while Moynat is not a part of the LV brand, the malletier (trunk-maker) is owned by the man behind LV.
“Some clients do like to take their trunks on their voyages, but mostly they are for a specialised use,” Nair says. “For these discerning clients, I design trunks that cater to their passion, such as a watch trunk or a vanity case. When not travelling, the trunks display these collectibles.”
If you ask today’s style set about their choice of luggage, they might mention Rimowa aluminium suitcases, a German brand whose wares are modelled on the trunk. Nair too admits that Rimowa is his luggage of choice when he travels. Even Karl Lagerfeld has often spoken about his love of the brand.
The word trunk goes back to the days of the first automobiles. When combustion engines were invented, car making was different from what it is today, Nair says. The client would select the motor from an engine manufacturer, say Bugatti, then order the carriage from a specialised carriage maker. And finally, they would turn to a bespoke trunk maker to design the trunks.
Of his more out-of-the-box creations, Nair designed a ‘macaron trunk’ for a client who wanted to ensure the French desserts were kept in style. “The shape of the macaron trunk was inspired by the Moynat tyre trunk created in the early 1900s to carry spare tyres and served as a storage compartment, and even as a bathtub on extended journeys,” saysNair.
To mark the brand’s arrival in the region, they have designed a bespoke trunk to house the Holy Quran, Al Noor. “I created it around a rare 18th century Kashmiri Quran in its original lacquered binding,” Nair says. “This trunk is fitted with a lectern mechanism that lifts the book when the lid is opened.”
Today, upcoming brands like Dubai-based Montroi and India’s Nappa Dori include trunks in their repertoire. These trunks may not be used for travel, but as décor pieces. Montroi, with its flagship in Dubai Design District, is for the traveller looking for a well-designed product of quality. They’ve created a trunk with a specially treated moss on the inside. “The idea is to have the feel of the outdoors indoors,” says Samir Aghera, co-founder of Montroi. “Trunks were a central part of the nomadic lifestyle. Back then, you would pack all your belongings in it as journeys were long. The idea is to be inspired by that time period, but to make objects that are practical to today’s lifestyle.”
A limited edition Montroi, Made in France, sets you back about Dh50,000. Nappa Dori’s trunks are for approximately Dh1,390. It goes without saying that since trunk-making is now an art, the prices are similar to buying objet d’art. But then, weren’t trunks always meant for the “posh set”?
I use my trunk as a console in the TV room, under the TV. I had wanted to use the trunk as a table, something I’ve seen often, especially in homes that have studies or libraries