Paris Shopping Buzz: Moynat’s Orient Express Vanity Case

Could there be a better occasion than the recent relaunch of the Orient Express for French heritage leather goods company Moynat to strut its stuff? For the famous malletier (trunk maker), which made its name in the mid-19th century with the advent of railway travel in France, this was a plum chance to flaunt what they do best.

Moynat’s custom ‘Malle de Beauté’ vanity case, crafted in calfskin in the OE’s signature deep blue with a plush textile interior, required over 250 hours of craftsmanship. The big surprise is inside – a backlit mirror illuminates upon opening and six beautifully crafted apple-wood drawers swing open to reveal a cache of premium gold-clad Guerlain cosmetics.

“This is a joyous opportunity to renew old ties and forge new ones,” says Moynat designer Ramesh Nair, who collaborated with Terry Wasser, Guerlain’s legendary in-house ‘nose’, to include the perfumer’s signature ‘Shalimar’ scent in vintage Baccarat flacons.

This case stylishly evokes the 1920s heyday of luxury rail travel, when glamorous women retreated to their sleeping cars trailing a headily perfumed wake.

Moynat, 348 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 1st, Tel: +33 1 47 03 83 90

From France Today magazine