Goyard - Living By The Mantra of Fashion

If you wonder what that mantra is, it’s pretty simple: Quality. Bag maker Goyard has been around since the early 1900s and is best known for the quality of its handbags and trunks. People who purchase Goyard bags despite its relatively high price tag are usually after the brand name and the quality of the materials used for the bags as well as the craftsmanship. Goyard is popular for the craftsmanship involved in making its bags; the brand is also well known for the exclusivity and elusiveness of its bags. Although Goyard accept orders for personalized handbags, its collections still remain limited.

Most well-known bag makers and designers have online stores where avid fashion enthusiasts and bag collectors can order their bags, but Goyard remains elusive because its bags are not available online. People can only get information on where Goyard stores are located worldwide from these websites, but they will have to personally contact the brand’s sales agents in order to place orders or to be waitlisted for specific bags. Goyard bags are pretty uncommon because they are limited, pricey, and not easily accessible to all bag collectors.

Goyard is not as well known in other countries as other French brands such as Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton, but its patrons support this luxury handbag and luggage maker mainly because of the brand’s history and the quality of its bags. Goyard bags are known for being resilient, lightweight and waterproof; their designs are also popular among a lot of bag collectors because of their unique pattern. The bags are made from the brand’s own material made from cotton, linen and cotton woven altogether and to which gum Arabic resin is added.

Its handbags and trunks showcase a three-dimensional chevron pattern that seems painted by hand. The pattern is actually impressed one color at a time using a cadrette. This entire process creates the illusion that the pattern is three-dimensional. The “E. Goyard” name is also visible on the bags as part of the 3D illusion and at the bottom or sides of the bags, depending on the model.

Goyard bags are not as popular as other designer bags but Goyard’s history as a maker of luxury luggage, trunks and handbags for royalty and French aristocratic families way back in the late 1800s make it one of the most sough-after brands by celebrities, bag collectors, fashion enthusiasts, and people with high social status.

With the brand’s popularity though come several problems which include knock-off versions of Goyard bags. For people who are not able to tell the original Goyard bags from the fake ones, they should try feeling the material and looking at the edgings of the bags. Because the chevron pattern is made with impressions of paint, the dots will feel like actual bumps against the material. Fake bags will have shiny and smooth surfaces because the imitated pattern is usually printed.

Goyard Bags: What Are They Worth?

Apparently, they’re worth loads. One couple unknowingly bought a treasure from a garage sale, paying $20 for a charming old trunk which they thought might be of use to them. It turned out to be pretty useful and very valuable: it was a circa-1900 Goyard steamer trunk. The trunk measures 32 inches wide by 22 inches high and 19 inches deep. The couple had not realized how priceless the Goyard trunk was until they brought it to an auction house called the Clars Auction Gallery after deciding it was one possession they had to sell.

The auction house first inspected the steamer trunk to assess its possible value. They later identified it as a circa-1900 Goyard trunk, and it was still decked out with decals from the past including Pullman Golden Arrow and Cunard White Star. The Goyard trunk also had labels which indicated the trunk had been to Italy, France and England, including Victoria Station in London. According to the couple, the steamer trunk supposedly belonged to an opera star who traveled the world. However, the auction house was not able to confirm this. The exterior was painted with “G.N.F., S.F. No 4” and its latches were signed with “Goyard Aine, Monte Carlo, Biarritz, Paris”.

Aside from being obviously priceless because of its age, the Goyard trunk is very valuable because of the brand. Goyard is a popular French designer brand making luxury handbags and luggage, and has been around as early as 1853. The Goyard family started in wood transporting before they began their business of making trunks and luggage. They catered to the French aristocratic families and only offered made to order trunks and luggage.

Goyard trunks and bags are considered very valuable but the brand is not as well-known as other French brands like Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Back in the late 1800s, the brand created handbags made from a material which is a combination of hemp, cotton and linen. A chevron pattern was also featured on this waterproof material. The Signoles family took over the company in the 1990s and has since made Goyard handbags that featured different colors and personalized, hand-painted monograms. The brand still accepts special orders to make customized Goyard trunks and luggage.

Currently, Goyard handbags are still popular partly because of its long history and partly due to celebrities toting the bags almost everywhere they go. Many people look up to celebrities to dictate what’s fashionable, what isn’t and what products or brands are only meant for use – and can be afforded – by a select few. This, and the fact that the old Goyard trunk the couple found in a garage sale has so much history dictate whether the trunk is actually worth the winning auction bid of more than $5,600.

Goyard Handbags: Everybody Wants One

Goyard handbags have been quite popular, especially since celebrities have started to embrace (or tote) the said French designer brand. Luxury handbag brand wars have also made recent news as handbag makers have reportedly been trying to control which celebrity should and shouldn’t be seen with their illustrious bags. One such news bit reports that the Jersey Shore cast member Snooki, who used to have a “joined at the hip” relationship with her Coach bag, has been sent free Gucci bags by competing brands. Needless to say, competition is pretty tight between designer handbags makers and certain steps are taken to protect their brands’ exclusivity.

Goyard handbags in particular have a long history, starting as a malletier as far back as 1853. The Goyard family started out as transporters of wood, and eventually came into the luggage business. The E. Goyard company became a trunk maker for French aristocratic families and offered their trunks and luggage made to order. Currently, the company is owned by the Signoles family and only has 12 branches worldwide (London, Hong Kong, Paris, Kyoto, Osaka, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, Seoul, Beverly Hills, Boston, San Francisco, and New York). Its recent popularity is also attributed to Barney’s displaying Goyard bags on their store window displays.

The brand only offers a few designs in different colors; their bags are hand painted and thus only a limited number of bags are made per year. Goyard bags are considered to be one of the exclusive designer bags today, though this sort of popularity breeds imitation products to crop up in the market. Since Goyard bags are hand painted, some say that one way to check if a bag is authentic or not is to feel the dots. The painted dots on authentic Goyard bags are slightly raised compared to imitation bags that are machine-printed.

Another feature that sets Goyard handbags apart is the special blend of cotton, hemp, and linen they use on their products. This special fabric is coated in resin and is said to be both durable and lightweight. Design-wise, the Goyard handbag thrives on simplicity. The brand offers several bag designs, including the reversible shopping bag called St. Louis and the stiff bag dubbed Jersey.

At any rate, it looks like Goyard will be keeping its popularity going as one of the best designer handbags around – whether or not Snooki decides to tote one around or not.

Goyard Handbags - The Envy of Celebrities Around the World

What do the glitter-filled Hollywood fashionista actresses Pamela Anderson, Nicky Hilton, and Nicole Richie have in common with our very own comparable fashionista actresses Anne Curtis, KC Concepcion, and Ruffa Gutierrez? They are all very pretty, very elegant, and very good actresses. More so, they all know what pure luxury means. Pure luxury at its best. Each of them were spotted, at separate occasions, separate places, bringing and using luxury Goyard handbags, accentuating their flair for fashionable outfits. For what use are luxury clothes without matching luxury handbags equally carried by fashionistas like them?

But, please do take note, not only actresses or famous showbiz people can be fashionistas. Any girl or woman with an eye for elegance and luxury can be the epitome of pure luxury at its best. She just has to carry herself confidently, with her head up, proud to wear fashionista clothes and shoes. And a very good way to seal that much-coveted “look” is by toting a Goyard handbag.

Goyard luxury monogrammed handbags originated from two centuries of Francois Goyard’s family business that expertised in the transportation of wood. These exquisitely-designed handbags are part of the Goyard bags line which include luggage or travel bags and wallets, each of them is hand-painted, making you feel the slightly-raised dots when you touch them. For the black bags and wallets, black stitching is used, while other colors-- oh, a wide array of striking rainbow colors of these luxury handbags, travel bags, and wallets-- have white. Staining from colored drinks, lipsticks, perfume, food, and the like is never a worry for any of these luxury bags and wallets because any stain can easily be wiped from these very elegant bags.

These luxury handbags are well-known over the world, and can be compared with the quality of other famous brands like Vuitton, but are definitely priced less. Imagine pure luxury with at-par brands at less price! Imagine pure luxury made affordable, considering that luxury truly has a price. What’s more, you can opt to personalize them, putting your name's initials or any small design uniquely your own, in your chosen handbag, making it truly you. Uniquely you. What more can a real fashionista ask for? A proven name with a lesser price that has the quality is worth it. A very good investment, indeed.

It pays to indulge once in a while. Life is too short, and having temporary amnesia, amidst the global recession and the daily harshness of life's reality, won’t hurt. Go ahead, feel pure luxury, have that fashionista flair, be a head-turner, the envy of women, attract the man of your dreams, and most of all, feel good about yourself. Buy a Goyard handbag now, and see the difference. Feel it, too. Be the real you. And be on top of the world.

Price of Goyard Croisière Bag

If you're looking for your next bag or Goyard bag, the Goyard Croisière should be at the top of your list. This is basically a duffel bag thats been transformed into an elegant handbag. The Goyard Croisière comes in 4 sizes and pricing from the Goyard Paris boutique is below.

Please note that the prices are in Euros so if you're shopping in dollars, expect to pay 30% more because of the exchange rate, but you do make some of it back as a luxury product such as a Goyard Croisière bag is eligible for a value-added tax (VAT) refund at the airport before you go home. On a bag like this, that will be at least $200-$300 in cash as a VAT refund. Not a bad deal for your next Goyard bag.

• Croisière 35 cm handbag : 1,210 € / 1,575 €
• Croisière 45 cm travel bag : 1,490 € / 1,935 €
• Croisière 50 cm travel bag : 1,690 € / 2,195 €
• Croisière 60 cm travel bag : 2,090 € / 2,715 €.

Louis Vuitton Totally Rips Off Goyard

Louis Vuitton has totally ripped off Goyard's trademark stripes and embellishments that customers custom ordered after getting a Goyard bag.

German Magazine, Classic Driver highlights the copycatting on their website, where several Louis Vuitton bags and luggage dressed in blue, yellow, green stripes as well as the initials of the purported bag owners.

Goyard may not have have been the first to do stripes on the bag, but Louis Vuitton could've done something more creative than completely copy the Goyard bag's signature look.

Goyard Gets Mentioned In LA Times Blog

A quick shout out to the LA Times for mentioning Goyard as the luxury of the truly jet set. There were several stars out for a Rimowa luggage opening, but I think that Goyard and Rimowa are planets apart when it comes to refinement of luggage.

Goyard's luggage and handmade trunks follow a tradition dating back over a hundred years. That same tradition has been passed onto the Goyard hangbags, Goyard wallets, and Goyard bags that are slowly being seen on the shoulders of the fashion elite. The Goyard fabric is hand-made making each Goyard piece truly unique which you can't say for similar Gucci or Louis Vuitton luggage.

While Rimowa does make some great luggage, Goyard is truly on a class on its own.

Goyard Bags

St. Honore clutch: a very limited release to honor their heritage as trunk makers. Available in white, silver, gold, and black. Available at Goyard retailers for a private viewing.

Comores: a long shopper tote. One size.

Jersey: a rigid trunk design. In sizes PM and GM.

St. Louis: a reversible shopping bag that comes in one of ten colors. They also come with a matching wallet. In sizes Junior, MM, or GM.

Jeanne: inspired by the hatboxes of long ago. A ladylike design with a structured body. Women who like the LV Speedys generally like these too. In sizes PM (petite), MM (medium), or GM (grande).

Goyard Wallet

I got my Goyard wallet in 2007 at the San Francisco store and being a fashion conscious guy, I have to admit that the Goyard Wallet is probalby the most understated fashionable thing I'll ever own. The wallet, even after almost 3 years of constant use is still in excellent condition and gets its share of oohs and awes when I pull it out of my back pocket and place it on the table. The Goyard wallet is simple in design and has a normal structure of a wallet.

Goyard is a company that has been making luggage and bags for more than 150 years, and they really know what they are doing with handbags, wallets, just the fact that the pieces are hand crafted, puts them in class of there own above the mass market products of Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags you see being carried are knock off's anyway. Goyard represents sophistication, style and an era of real glamour. The steep price tag of the wallet reflects these above traits and not the quality of leather used, or how big the wallet is. The Goyard Wallet is the quintisential piece to begin any Goyard collection. The Goyard wallet is made from fine calf leather and is handmade at Goyard's atelier in France.

This intricate logo and signature handpainted initials and stripes represents 150 years of serving exclusive clienteles such as the likes of kings, queens, duchesses maharajahs and movie stars and leaders from around the world.

Goyard

If you haven't heard of Goyard yet, let's try to keep it between you and me. Goyard is probably the last real luxury atelier in France that still caters to a market outside of France. Goyard makes handbags, wallets, and totes in small batch quantities, all hand made in their workshops in France. With the stores, you can order direct from the atelier (workshop in French) where you can custom design practically anything you want - luggage, dog leashes, briefcases, and the occasional steamer trunk, like the kind they used on the Titanic.

La Maison Goyard is the official name of the atelier, and it was established in 1853 by François Goyard (1828-1890), then and still located on the rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. The fabric of Goyard is symbolic, representing three chevrons, juxtaposed to form a Y. This evokes not only the name of the Maison itself, but also the tree; symbolizing three centuries of the Goyard family history and their “Compagnon de Rivière” ancestors.

Goyard has retail stores in Paris, Beverly Hills, Boston, Hong Kong, Kyoto, London, New York City, Osaka, San Francisco, Sao Paolo, Seoul and Tokyo. The atelier is located across the street from the retail store in Paris, on the Rue St. Honore.

Goyard wallets prices start at around $500-$550, depending on color.

Goyard totes prices start at around $2,000, depending on color.

Goyard bags and totes, start at around $800, depending on color and size.

Read more: The official Goyard website