About Goyard Founded in 1853 a year before Louis Vuitton is one of the oldest luxury bag brands still in business. Goyard customers have included the Duke of Windsor, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, and Kayne West. What has set this brand apart from other purveyors of luxury bags? In December 2020, well-known British bag designer Anya Hindmarch said of her namesake brand: “Creativity will eat strategy for breakfast.” While this statement is both brave and brazen to make, it does not reflect the state of play at the Anya Hindmarch label. Has the designer possibly forgotten the mass redundancies, 43 store closures, and losses approaching £85 million at her eponymous brand in the last few years? Unlike Hindmarch, Goyard management believes in a symbiotic relationship between strategy and creativity. Throughout most of the 20th century, Goyard was a high-flyer, but by the 1990s, the situation looked dire for the brand, having a turnover of less than £0.5 million, making losses, and operating out of a single store. Fast forward to 2020 and Goyard’s fortunes had seen a turnaround. In the UK alone, it can be argued the brand was more successful financially than Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Bottega Veneta and all its other competitors. What was done to transform Goyard into a 21st century success story? Why has Goyard become the go-to brand for many, eating its rivals for breakfast? The Inside the Brand series 70+ books on luxury brands Controversial by design, these revelatory books divulge many fundamental aspects of a brand that were previously undisclosed. The views expressed are those of the authors and the editor and do not represent any member of The Fashion and Design Club. The Inside the Brand series is comprised of over 70 books on luxury fashion and design brands including: Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Bulgari, Burberry, Cartier, Chanel, Coach, Christian Louboutin, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Goyard, Gucci, Heatherwick Studio, JW Anderson, Hermes, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Maria Grachvogel, Prada, Tiffany & Co., Tom Ford, Versace, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, and many others. The Inside the Brand series are thoroughly researched covering key aspects of each brand including its history, finances, employees, marketing strategies, and much more. The books assume that the reader has a basic understanding of the designs offered by a brand and hence focus on how it has evolved, and its business operations. Many of the books in this series contain previously unpublished content obtained by interviewing key people from the brands, including individuals working in production, development, pattern cutting, sales, and marketing, as well as interns. Creative directors, brand founders, CEOs, CFOs, investors and Chairpersons have also been interviewed. The Inside the Brand series was commissioned by The Fashion and Design Club for the benefit and education of fashion and design students. The books are independently funded to ensure impartiality. No brand has commissioned, authorised or financially supported these books in any way. Due often to the contentious nature of the some of the content, some brands have attempted to prevent publication through legal action or by resorting to threats. About The Fashion and Design Club Since 2011, The Fashion and Design Club has been a platform for experienced luxury fashion or design executives to meet and discuss a variety of business issues while adhering to Chatham House Rules. The Club’s website launched recently just for these publications is www.thefashionanddesignclub.com. Iayn G Clark has been the Secretary of The Fashion and Design Club since its creation. Iayn’s career milestones include management consultancy for luxury fashion entities.