In the 1920s, the German luggage maker Rimowa built an aluminum trunk. Over the next decades, the company’s engineers and designers would iterate on its design to create Rimowa’s now iconic product, a wheeled suitcase with grooves, that you will find at airports all over the world.
Today, Rimowa unveils the next evolution of this design: an aluminum handbag with grooves that looks like a shrunken version of the suitcase. Priced at 1,790 euros (roughly $1,972), and launching in silver and black, it is a luxury accessory that will compete with brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. Its metallic, geometric shape gives it a more futuristic, functional, and gender-neutral aesthetic than the leather and canvas luxury bags on the market. But if it takes off, it has the potential to be the next big “it” bag.
The Original is part of Rimowa’s broader effort to expand beyond its suitcase. Given that people don’t buy suitcases often—which is especially true of Rimowa suitcases that have a lifetime guarantee—it makes sense for the brand to create other products. Over the last five years, it has launched backpacks and duffle bags, all of which are designed to integrate with its line of suitcases.
The Original Bag is Rimowa’s biggest accessory launch to date, redefining the company as a lifestyle brand rather than just a suitcase maker. The bag is designed to be used everyday, not just for travel. It’s large enough to carry your wallet, keys, headphones, and chargers. And the handle and interior are wrapped in Italian leather. “This is a milestone for us because it’s our first foray into fashion,” says Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert, Rimowa’s CEO.
Crafting a smaller version
While the bag is supposed to be a statement-making design object, Bonnet-Masimbert says the company was obsessed with making it as functional and well-crafted as its suitcases. It is made from 200 individual pieces that are crafted in Rimowa’s factory in Cologne, Germany. They wanted the bag to be unisex, so it would be carried by both men and women, much like its suitcases. And the designers focused on making it easy to open with one hand with the click of a button. “If you’re on your phone or on a bicycle, you need to be able to access it easily,” he says. “It took years of prototyping and iterations to be able to get the design right.”
Bonnet-Masimbert says the lifetime guarantee will apply to these bags and that consumers will get so much use from them that the aluminum develops nicks and dents. “People who love our suitcases have a sense of pride about the dents on the aluminum,” he says. “It’s a sign of how much you’ve used it and how many places you’ve taken it to.”
In the past, Rimowa has collaborated with fashion brands like Tiffany, Dior, and Supreme to create limited-edition suitcases. But with the Original, Rimowa wants to step out into the world as a fashion brand in its own right. It’s roots in German engineering give it a very industrial, modern aesthetic, along the lines of Balenciaga or Off-White. “We want to offer something distinctive,” says Bonnet-Masimbert. “We want this bag to make a statement.”