SMART COMPANY

With his dynamic, creative vision, Ramesh Nair is reviving Moynat, the 150-year-old Parisian label

- BUTOOL JAMAL

The son of an army officer from India, whose family is from Kerala, Ramesh Nair started his fashion career at NIFT, Delhi. The rest of his CV is dotted with illustrious names, from Yohji Yamamoto to Christian Lacroix and finally Hermès before he joined luxury accessory label Moynat. Here, the designer speaks exclusively to Bazaar about his influences.

Harper’s Bazaar: The brand was founded by Pauline Moynat in 1849. The only woman trunk-maker at the time, does she still influence your vision for the brand?

Ramesh Nair: More than a designer, Pauline Moynat was an entrepreneur and thus a pioneer in an industry dominated by men. She definitely impacted my decision to take her House forward into the future. It is not a coincidence that we have so many women artisans in our ateliers.

This also plays a role in my creative influences, which I translate as a balance between feminine and masculine energies. There is grace and lightness in the personality of the House and in the overall aspect of our products, and yet there is a spirit of innovation and engineering that comes through.

HB: Architecture is a big influence on your work. What parallels can you draw between it and accessory design?