On 26 July, the French brand Moynat, which sells luxury trunks, bags and small leather goods, opened its latest boutique in China at the WF Central mall in downtown Beijing.

Established in 1849 by Pauline Moynat, the brand opened its first shop in 1869 in Paris and became the official supplier of leather items to the nearby Theatre Francais.

Inspired by the theater, and the actress Gabrielle Rejane in particular, Moynat created a handbag named after her which has become one of the brand's most iconic products.

Its design has stood the test of time remarkably well. Chinese actress Yu Feihong carried a pink Rejane handbag to match her cream-colored dress, to show her elegance and love for the brand during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new boutique.

As well as the Rejane bag, the boutique also displayed its calfskin leather Madeleine handbag which has a semicircular buckle inspired by antique trunk rivets, and Mini Vanity bags based on the brand's classic hard trunk, which feature complex hand-crafted corner-stitching.

The new store also stocks Mosaique bags and some small leather goods for men including key rings and passport holders, as well as its Gabrielle, Cabotin and Limousin trunk ranges.

Compared with other international brands with a long history such as Louis Vuitton, Moynat currently produces much smaller numbers of handbags and trunks.

Global CEO Guillaume Davin says Moynat has around 80 of the most highly-skilled craftsmen from around the world. And since the production of a single bag takes around 20 hours to complete, one artisan can only produce around two bags a week.

"We'll always value quality over quantity," he says, "We love the idea of going back to the roots of luxury, which is really based on exceptional craftsmanship."

To mark its latest venture in China, the brand is selling a limited edition of handbags in red and beige for Chinese Valentine's Day through its online shop and Wechat on Aug 10.