Old french label comes to town

Moynat's first store in Beijing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Vogue wrote that Moynat's reopening was "like a beautiful woman slipping silently into a dinner party".

In October, the brand arrived at Beijing's Yintai Center in the same quiet way.

As Davin describes it: "There's too much communication these days! We wanted to do something quieter. That is the whole flavor of discreet luxury.

"Moynat is old school, a very traditional brand. We are not part of the fashion world. Each bag needs over 20 hours of work by one craftsman. We sell through word of mouth only. We are lucky that we don't have pressure to expand fast. So there's no ambitious store-opening program," Davin says, adding that Moynat is still very exclusive, with a store each in Paris, London, Hong Kong and now Beijing.

Unlike some young designers who take over renowned houses and then proceed to ignore the company's history, Nair respects the history of the brand and believes that comprehending the heritage is integral to the future of the brand.

Nair says: "I'm very happy to be a re-founding member and to become part of the story."

When Arnault acquired Moynat, only the bare bones of the brand existed. But, they saw tremendous potential in its rich heritage and history, as well as the vintage products they were able to find at auctions and antique dealers, he adds.

"So what I try do is to re-create the story and add value," says Nair, who works with eight senior artisans to make high-end bags and 30 others to make other products.