Tag Archives: rimowa

RIMOWA’s 2 New Colors Quietly Solve the Baggage Claim Problem

Posted on by

At baggage claim, a good suitcase can have one frustrating flaw: it looks like everyone else’s. Rows of black and gray cases roll past, and the bag you chose for its clean design becomes surprisingly hard to pick out. Color seems like an easy answer, until the options swing too far the other way. Not everyone wants their luggage to look like a highlighter.

RIMOWA’s new Umber and Ultramarine collection offers a more considered choice. Umber is an earthy brown; Ultramarine is a deep, saturated blue. Both give the brand’s familiar luggage a distinct presence without asking travelers to trade a design they like for a novelty print. The colors extend to bags and accessories, too, so someone building a travel setup has more to choose from than a single suitcase.

Designer: Rimowa

I’m drawn to Umber because brown is an unusual choice for a hard-shell case. It has the warmth of an old leather travel bag, but on RIMOWA’s grooved Essential silhouette, it feels sharper and more contemporary. It’s a color for someone who wants to move away from black without feeling conspicuous at the hotel desk. I can imagine it looking just as right on a short work trip as it would on a longer vacation.

Ultramarine makes a different case for itself. It has enough depth to feel substantial, but it won’t disappear into a lineup of dark luggage. RIMOWA’s campaign connects the shades to historical pigments, drawing Umber from earth tones and Ultramarine from the blue associated with lapis lazuli. That backstory could have felt overly precious. Here, it gives the colors a useful design logic: these are rich, recognizable hues, not shades chosen just because they photograph well this season.

The execution matters as much as the palette. On the Essential suitcases, the color carries across the hardware for a monochromatic finish. That keeps the eye on the shape of the case and the rhythm of its grooves, rather than breaking it up with contrasting details. It’s a small decision, but one that makes the suitcases feel designed as complete objects instead of existing models dipped in new paint.

There’s also an appealing restraint to the wider collection. RIMOWA has brought the colors into its Groove bags, including a Mini Shopping Bag offered in both shades, while select smaller pieces come in Umber. That gives frequent travelers the option of a coordinated set, but it doesn’t demand one. I’d be more inclined to choose one piece I’d use often than to make every bag I own match my carry-on.

That’s where this release has a practical payoff. A more distinctive suitcase may be easier to recognize when bags are coming off the carousel, and a color you genuinely enjoy carrying can make familiar travel routines feel a little less anonymous. Neither benefit needs to be exaggerated. Umber and Ultramarine won’t create more packing space or make a delayed flight arrive sooner. They solve a quieter problem: useful luggage doesn’t have to feel interchangeable.

Of course, color is only part of a buying decision at this price. RIMOWA lists the Essential Cabin in Ultramarine at $990, so I’d still choose the size and configuration that suit my trips before choosing a shade. The collection is most compelling if you already like the Essential suitcase or want one of the smaller bags on its own. A beautiful color can make the right purchase more satisfying; it can’t turn the wrong suitcase into the right one.

For me, the success of Umber and Ultramarine is that they let two different personalities inhabit the same recognizable design. Umber feels calm and adaptable. Ultramarine has more energy, but enough depth to avoid feeling like a passing gimmick. That’s a good way to think about luggage you’ll live with beyond the excitement of buying it: not whether it looks striking in a campaign, but whether you’ll still be glad to spot it when it comes around the carousel.

The post RIMOWA’s 2 New Colors Quietly Solve the Baggage Claim Problem first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rimowa Actually Made a $3,100 Suitcase for Faber-Castell Pencils

Posted on by

I’m not an artist or an architect, but I do love me some good quality pens, pencils, and markers. Since I’m just a casual user, though, I don’t mind tossing them into an ordinary pencil case or even just slipping them into my bag’s side pocket when I’m heading out and might use them somewhere. I know people who rely on these tools for their livelihood tend to be a lot more careful about how they carry them around, but the truth is, there just aren’t many quality cases built specifically for that job.

In a surprising collaboration, luxury luggage brand Rimowa and German pencil maker Faber-Castell have teamed up to create a suitcase specifically meant for carrying around your precious pens and pencils. It’s made from the same signature anodized, grooved aluminum shell that Rimowa uses on its actual luggage, with a colorful surprise waiting once you pop it open.

Designer: Rimowa x Faber-Castell

This limited-edition collector’s piece isn’t just a classy-looking suitcase, either. It’s a full kit that includes 120 Polychromos color pencils, custom-made grooved 2B Grip graphite pencils, and a Rimowa-branded platinum-plated sharpener and eraser. Everything is arranged in a two-level tray system that unfolds smoothly, so each piece stays visible and within reach. It’s a stationery lover’s stylish, fever dream and something worth adding to any artist or designer’s wish list.

The case itself looks like a smaller sibling to Rimowa’s regular luggage line, using the same material and design language throughout. It also has the brand’s signature high-gloss aluminum corners and TSA-approved locks, which proves it’s actually travel-ready in case you’re flying somewhere with your supplies in tow. The leather carry handle comes in Faber-Castell’s signature green, a nice branding touch that ties the two icons together.

I said this was a surprising collaboration, but if you really think about it, the partnership makes perfect sense. Rimowa is famous for its sturdy aluminum suitcases, while Faber-Castell has a long history of crafting high-quality pens and pencils dating back to 1761. Both brands are essentially obsessed with precision and “honest materials,” so their craftsmanship philosophies line up more naturally than you’d expect.

So how does this stack up against what’s already out there? The closest comparison in the luxury space is probably Louis Vuitton, which sells its own Art & Craft Elizabeth Pencil Pouch for around $515. That’s already a steep price for something that’s essentially just a fancy fabric zip pouch, and it doesn’t come with any pencils, sharpeners, or organizational trays included. Rimowa and Faber-Castell’s Artist Case, by comparison, costs roughly $3,100, but you’re getting an entirely different category of product: a hard-shell, TSA-approved, aluminum case with a built-in two-tier tray system and a complete 120-pencil professional drawing kit already inside.

On the more affordable end, Faber-Castell’s own wooden Polychromos case with all 120 pencils runs about $700 on its own, no case included. So while the Rimowa collaboration is definitely priced for collectors and diehard fans rather than casual doodlers like me, it’s less “overpriced pencil box” and more “a piece of design furniture that happens to hold your pencils.” It occupies its own lane entirely, somewhere between fine luggage and fine art supplies.

If you’re hoping to snag one, the RIMOWA x Faber-Castell Artist Case officially releases on September 17, 2026, and will be available at Rimowa stores worldwide, on Rimowa.com, and at select Faber-Castell retail stores across Germany, Austria, France, and Italy. Given that it’s a limited-edition run, don’t expect it to stick around for long once it hits shelves.

At the end of the day, most of us don’t need a $3,100 aluminum suitcase just to keep our colored pencils from rolling around in a backpack. But that’s kind of the point. This isn’t really about function alone; it’s about two heritage brands proving that even the most humble everyday tools, the pencils we doodled with as kids, deserve the same obsessive craftsmanship as a suitcase built to survive a transatlantic flight. Whether you’re a professional illustrator, a serious hobbyist, or just someone who appreciates when two iconic names come together in a way that actually makes sense, the Artist Case is a reminder that good design doesn’t discriminate by price point or purpose. Sometimes it just shows up in the most unexpected shape: a pencil box dressed up like a suitcase.

The post Rimowa Actually Made a $3,100 Suitcase for Faber-Castell Pencils first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rimowa’s $6,300 Dartboard Case Is Outrageous. It’s Also Perfect.

Posted on by

Rimowa did not need to make a dartboard case. That much is obvious. The German luggage brand has spent decades building an identity around precision-engineered aluminium travel cases, the kind that earn airport sideways glances and the occasional “nice case.” A dartboard cabinet was not on anyone’s 2026 bingo card. And yet, here we are.

The RIMOWA Dartboard Case in Silver is exactly what it sounds like: a wall-mounted dart cabinet built in collaboration with professional dartboard maker Winmau, encased in Rimowa’s signature anodized grooved aluminium, complete with custom latch locks, plane-engraved rivets, and a classic black leather handle. Inside sits a custom Winmau Blade X board, which happens to be the official dartboard of the PDC, and two sets of professional-grade darts. It looks like someone took a classic pub cabinet and ran it through a very expensive German design studio. Which is, apparently, exactly what happened. The price? Around $6,300. Limited edition. Available from July 30 at select Rimowa stores worldwide.

Designer: Rimowa

Before the inevitable eye-rolling begins, it is worth sitting with what Rimowa has actually done here. Darts is a sport with a real public image problem in the luxury space. It lives in pubs, in basement rec rooms, and on television specials that tend to run alongside beer commercials. It is beloved, genuinely, by millions of people, but it does not typically share shelf space with luxury goods at this price point. Rimowa walked right into that tension and, rather than trying to “elevate” the sport in some condescending way, they treated it with the same seriousness they would apply to a carry-on. That distinction matters.

The Winmau Blade X is not a novelty prop. It is the most advanced dartboard Winmau has ever made, engineered specifically for the PDC’s elite professional circuit, with 13% longer scoring segments and a premium layered hardwood backboard designed to minimize bounce-outs. Pairing that level of performance hardware with Rimowa’s aluminium craftsmanship is not a gimmick. It is a genuine meeting of two serious makers operating at the top of their respective fields.

The campaign starring actor Walton Goggins leans into the absurdity just enough. Set inside the Rimowa factory in Cologne, Goggins wanders the factory floor, distracted by the pressure of watching his favorite football team play, and stumbles onto the dartboard case. He starts throwing darts, as if a bullseye might somehow influence the match. It is a sharp, funny piece of brand filmmaking, and it works because it does not take itself too seriously, which is the exact right energy for a product that costs more than most people’s first car payment.

What makes the design compelling is how little had to change. Rimowa’s grooved aluminium aesthetic translates almost naturally into a wall cabinet format. The co-branded double-door construction, the custom latch hardware, the leather handle, it all feels like a luggage piece that simply chose a different destination. That continuity is harder to achieve than it looks, and it is the reason the object does not feel like a brand collaboration manufactured purely for press attention.

Is anyone actually going to play darts with this? Probably yes, and probably in a very nice home bar. Is it also, without question, a collector’s object that will live mostly on walls rather than in rotation? Also yes. Luxury design has always occupied that strange dual space between function and art object, and the Rimowa Dartboard Case is comfortable in both. You can play a real game on it. You can also just stare at it.

At $6,300, Rimowa is clearly not pitching this to the after-work league player. But for the design-obsessed, the darts enthusiast with money to spend, or the collector who has simply run out of interesting things to put on the wall, it makes a strange and compelling case for itself. Sometimes the things that do not need to exist are the most interesting ones.

The post Rimowa’s $6,300 Dartboard Case Is Outrageous. It’s Also Perfect. first appeared on Yanko Design.

RIMOWA’s Pokémon Collab Proves Nostalgia Travels Well

Posted on by

Thirty years ago, Pokémon taught an entire generation that the real adventure was the journey, not the destination. Now, RIMOWA is making that philosophy literal, and the result is one of the most covetable travel accessories of the year.

The collaboration, a Japan-exclusive capsule released on June 2, brings Pokémon-themed accessories to RIMOWA’s iconic suitcase lineup. We’re talking Poké Ball wheel sets, Pokémon-inspired luggage tags, and a limited-edition sticker set. The pieces are showcased alongside RIMOWA’s Essential line in bold Orange and Magenta, and the classic Original Cabin in Silver. If you need a moment to process how good that combination looks, take it.

Designer: RIMOWA

Collaborations between luxury brands and pop culture franchises are not new. We’ve seen high fashion shake hands with anime, streetwear collide with fine art, and sneakers morph into collector’s items worth more than a month’s rent. But the RIMOWA x Pokémon drop feels different, and not in the way that brands usually claim something is “different.” The distinction is in the credibility of both sides. RIMOWA has spent over a century building a reputation for precision engineering and design integrity. Pokémon has spent thirty years becoming one of the most enduring cultural franchises in history. When these two come together, the output isn’t just a product. It’s a statement.

The luggage tags are the quiet stars of this collection. Most people treat luggage tags as an afterthought, just a way to identify your bag on the carousel. But a Charmander or Charizard tag dangling from a polished aluminum case changes the conversation entirely. It turns your luggage into a flex, and the best kind: one that’s playful rather than pretentious. Charmander and Charizard are arguably the most beloved starter evolution line in the franchise, which means these tags carry genuine sentimental weight for anyone who spent their childhood glued to a Game Boy.

Then there are the stickers, and they matter more than you might think. RIMOWA has long encouraged travelers to use their suitcases as a canvas, a rolling record of everywhere they’ve been. The Pokémon sticker set fits that tradition naturally. It gives you something to place with intention, something that says a little about who you are before you even open your mouth at baggage claim. There’s a generational intimacy to Pokémon stickers on a luxury suitcase that feels earned rather than gimmicky.

The Poké Ball wheel sets round out the collection in the most theatrical way possible. You only really see them when the suitcase is moving, which makes the reveal almost cinematic. It’s design thinking at its most fun, and I appreciate that neither brand tried to make it subtle.

The Japan-exclusive angle is worth sitting with, though. It makes sense: Japan is the birthplace of Pokémon, and RIMOWA has a strong presence in the Asian market. A region-specific drop honors that cultural connection and keeps the collection genuinely limited. But if you’re a Pokémon fan, a RIMOWA enthusiast, or both, and you happen to not be in Japan, you’re essentially watching this happen through glass. Resale prices will be predictably painful, and that accessibility gap is the one thing that slightly dulls the shine of an otherwise excellent collaboration.

Still, Pokémon’s 30th anniversary has been a celebration done right. The franchise has rolled out collaborations across fashion, collectibles, and experiential activations throughout 2026, and the RIMOWA partnership sits at the top of that list in terms of design quality and cultural resonance. It understands its audience. It doesn’t try to be ironic or overly self-aware. It simply takes two well-crafted worlds and lets them coexist beautifully.

Good design is about making people feel something. A Charizard luggage tag on a polished aluminum suitcase makes you smile before your flight, and that’s not a small thing. Travel can be exhausting and deeply impersonal. A little bit of joy attached to your carry-on goes further than any airport lounge ever could. For collectors, this one is worth the chase. For everyone else, it’s a good reminder that luxury and nostalgia can share the same overhead bin, and sometimes, the most unexpected pairings are the ones that last.

The post RIMOWA’s Pokémon Collab Proves Nostalgia Travels Well first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rimowa Just Made the Classiest Excuse to Never Unpack

Posted on by

Most people treat their Rimowa suitcase like a very expensive houseguest: it arrives looking spectacular, gets shoved in a closet, and stays there until the next trip. Rimowa, apparently, has thoughts about this. And so does Lehni.

The two brands have just unveiled a limited-edition furniture collaboration at Salone del Mobile 2026 in Milan, and it might be the most quietly audacious thing either brand has done in recent memory. The collection consists of two pieces: a Bench and a Drawer, both crafted in anodized aluminum, both designed to hold cabin-sized Rimowa suitcases inside your home. Not in a storage room. Not under your bed. On display, like they were always meant to be there. Which, if you’ve ever owned a Rimowa, you’d know they kind of were.

Designers: Rimowa x Lehni

The Bench is an open-shelving unit that holds two cabin-sized suitcases side by side. It is clean, low-slung, and just architectural enough to look at home next to a mid-century credenza or a spare Scandinavian sofa. The Drawer offers a different kind of storage: a sculptural, closed-frame unit with a built-in drawer for smaller items. Both pieces come in silver and black anodized aluminum, and both carry the embossed Grid pattern that echoes the grooved exterior of a classic Rimowa Original. That detail is not accidental. It’s the kind of material continuity that makes a collection feel cohesive rather than like a brand licensing deal gone slightly off the rails.

The craft side of this is worth paying attention to. Lehni has been working with aluminum since 1922, when Rudolf Lehni opened a sheet metal workshop in Zürich that quickly became a gathering place for artists and architects. That legacy still shows. Today, the company is run by the fourth generation of the Lehni family out of Dübendorf, and every piece is handmade in their Zurich factory. Each shelf on the Bench, for instance, is lined with a specially developed scratch-resistant felt mat to protect the cases stored on it. You notice that kind of thinking. These are small decisions that add up to something much larger than the sum of their parts.

Rimowa, for its part, has been on a quiet but consistent streak of repositioning itself as something more than a travel brand. The aluminum suitcase has already crossed over into fashion and streetwear culture through collaborations with names like Dior, Supreme, and Porsche. Moving into furniture feels like the next logical step, and frankly, it makes more sense than most luxury crossovers I’ve seen. The material language stays the same. The level of craft stays the same. The only thing that changes is the context, which is exactly what makes this feel like a genuine design idea rather than a marketing exercise.

That said, let’s be real: this is not furniture for everyone. The Bench is priced at $4,275, the collection is limited-edition, and in the US it’s only available in the continental states by contacting Rimowa’s client services directly. There’s no add-to-cart button. That purchasing friction is intentional, and it’s the kind of intentional that has a very specific audience in mind: the person who already owns the suitcase, already loves it, and wants their home to reflect the same aesthetic sensibility. I don’t think that’s a bad audience to build for. Niche, yes. But well-defined.

My honest take is that the Rimowa Lehni collection succeeds because it doesn’t try to explain itself too hard. It doesn’t need to. Two brands that both work in aluminum, both care about precision, and both have long histories with good design sat down and made something that looks exactly like what you’d expect from that pairing. The result is a bench and a drawer that feel less like a product launch and more like an obvious conclusion. Sometimes the best collaborations aren’t the surprising ones. They’re the ones that make you wonder why it took this long.

The post Rimowa Just Made the Classiest Excuse to Never Unpack first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rimowa Classic Aluminium Grid Revives a Forgotten 1969 Design

Posted on by

Most luggage brands don’t have a 127-year-old story to draw from. Rimowa does, and it seems to know exactly when it’s worth pulling from that history and when to let the present speak for itself. With the Classic Aluminium Grid, they’ve clearly decided the archive deserves a second act.

The Classic Aluminium Grid is the German brand’s latest limited-edition release, and it’s generating the kind of quiet excitement that reserved design circles usually save for restored mid-century furniture or a first-edition book that resurfaces at auction. The reason is simple: Rimowa didn’t just design something new. They reached back to 1969, pulled out a hand-carry case design that had been sitting in their archives, and asked what it would look like today if it were treated with the same reverence they give to the grooves.

Designer: Rimowa

That grooved shell, by the way, is practically synonymous with the brand itself. You know a Rimowa from across an airport terminal. Those parallel ridges running down the aluminium surface are one of the most recognizable design signatures in travel goods, and they’ve been that way for decades. So when the brand quietly steps away from them and replaces the lines with a grid, a structured, geometric, embossed pattern pressed right into the aluminium shell, it feels like a real statement. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a choice that speaks to a different kind of confidence.

The grid comes from a real place. In 1969, Rimowa was producing hand-carry cases featuring this geometric pattern: practical, modular, and rooted in the kind of technical precision that defined that era’s design thinking. There’s a reason so much design from that decade still holds up. It wasn’t chasing aesthetics for their own sake. Form followed function, and it did so elegantly. Reviving that spirit in 2026 doesn’t read as nostalgia pandering. It reads as a brand that knows exactly where its DNA lives and isn’t afraid to dig for it.

The collection comes in three sizes: the Classic Hand-Carry Case, the Classic Cabin, and the Classic Trunk. All three are made in Cologne, Germany, which matters more than it might seem. Manufacturing location is one of those details that’s easy to gloss over until you’re actually holding the product, and with Rimowa, the German-made quality is part of the whole point. The embossed grid pattern, the blue leather handles, the individually numbered serial number patch on each case: these aren’t details you’d notice in a thumbnail. They’re details you notice after living with the piece and realising it only gets better over time.

And yes, price matters here. The Classic Aluminium Grid sits in the $2,725 to $3,225 range, which puts it firmly in the territory of deliberate, considered purchasing. That’s not casual spending, and it shouldn’t be. This is the kind of purchase that functions as an heirloom more than a travel accessory, something you keep, care for, and eventually pass along. The lifetime guarantee Rimowa extends to all its suitcases reinforces that framing. They’re not selling you a bag built for a few trips. They’re selling you something built to outlast most things currently in your home.

What makes this collection feel genuinely compelling rather than just another limited drop is the restraint behind it. Rimowa didn’t add bright colour for the sake of attention. They didn’t partner with a streetwear brand or commission someone’s artwork across the shell. They went to their own archive, found something worth preserving, and let the design carry the weight. The grid is subtle enough that it won’t read as flashy at baggage claim, but anyone paying close attention will recognise it as something different. Something that doesn’t quite look like everything else on the carousel.

That’s a hard balance to strike in design. Loud enough to be interesting, quiet enough to be enduring. The Classic Aluminium Grid lands squarely in that space, and for a brand with over a century of aluminium behind it, that feels less like luck and more like a brand that knows exactly what it’s doing.

The post Rimowa Classic Aluminium Grid Revives a Forgotten 1969 Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rimowa Just Built a $450 Bag That’s Actually 3 Bags in One

Posted on by

You know that frantic airport moment when you need your laptop but it’s buried deep in your suitcase? Or when you’re rolling through the terminal juggling a carry-on, a tote bag that keeps slipping off your shoulder, and a coffee that’s about to meet its untimely end? Rimowa just made all of that dramatically less chaotic.

The luxury luggage brand has reimagined its Cabin Luggage Harness with a clever upgrade that transforms it from a simple add-on into something genuinely versatile. This isn’t just another travel accessory trying to justify its existence. It’s a three-in-one design that actually makes sense for how we move through airports and cities today.

Designer: Rimowa

At first glance, it looks like a sleek organizer that wraps around your suitcase like a well-tailored vest. Made from high-quality recycled nylon with nylon webbing for durability, it attaches via adjustable straps that fit neatly over Rimowa’s Original, Classic, Essential, Essential Lite, and Hybrid cabin collections. The straps secure to the telescoping handle, keeping everything stable as you roll through crowded terminals. Three non-slip silicone strips ensure the bag stays balanced even when you’ve loaded it unevenly (because let’s be honest, we all do that).

What makes this version special are the hidden shoulder straps tucked into the design. When you need to break away from your rolling luggage for a coffee run or quick meeting, simply detach the harness and those concealed straps convert it into a surprisingly functional backpack. It’s the kind of thoughtful detail that makes you wonder why no one thought of it sooner.

The organizational setup is where Rimowa really nailed it. Two large pockets accommodate laptops up to 16 inches, plus tablets, documents, and magazines. Several smaller pockets handle the usual suspects: chargers, phones, passports, that random USB cable you always need. Everything stays accessible without forcing you to dig through your main suitcase or squat awkwardly in the middle of a busy airport corridor.

But wait, there’s more functionality packed into this thing. Zipped side panels connect the two sections of the harness, and when paired with the two top handles, the whole setup transforms into a hand-carry briefcase. It’s polished enough for a business meeting, yet practical enough for everyday travel. That’s three distinct carrying modes in one compact package. Despite all these features, the harness stays remarkably compact and lightweight. It weighs just 0.59 kilograms and measures 15.4 inches high by 12.2 inches wide by 3.5 inches deep. When attached to your suitcase, it sits flush against the surface rather than bulging awkwardly or throwing off your balance as you navigate tight airplane aisles.

The timing of this release feels particularly smart. As travel rebounds and more people return to airports, there’s growing frustration with the juggling act required to manage multiple bags while maintaining easy access to essentials. Airlines have gotten stricter about what counts as a personal item, and gate-checking fees continue to climb. A solution that consolidates your carry items while keeping them organized and accessible? That’s solving real problems.

Rimowa can’t claim total originality here. Similar suitcase harness designs have existed for years, though typically at lower price points and with less refined execution. What sets Rimowa’s version apart is the build quality, the versatility of those hidden shoulder straps, and the thoughtful integration with their suitcase lineup. It’s the difference between a hack that technically works and a solution that feels intentionally designed.

The recycled materials deserve a mention too. Using recycled nylon for both the exterior and lining aligns with growing expectations that luxury brands need to consider sustainability. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s the baseline we should expect from premium products in 2025. For frequent travelers who already own Rimowa luggage, this harness feels like an obvious upgrade. For everyone else, it’s an interesting glimpse into how thoughtful design can solve everyday frustrations without overcomplicating things. Sometimes the best innovations aren’t flashy new technology. They’re just smart solutions that make you say, “Why didn’t this exist before?”

The post Rimowa Just Built a $450 Bag That’s Actually 3 Bags in One first appeared on Yanko Design.

RIMOWA original suitcase gets alternate brushed finish to create the ‘optical’ illusion of movement

Posted on by

How about a fancy cabin bag that appears to be moving when you are standing for your boarding pass or awaiting your boarding call in the lounge? All sorts of suitcases make an appearance these days. Some are modular, some reminiscent of the icons, and some throw in an optical illusion to put fun to your airport look and those timeless halts. And for the latter, we are sold!

Designed and developed by Germany-based RIMOWA using high-end anodized aluminum, the suitcase is a fancy variant of the company’s original carry-on. Aptly dubbed Original Cabin Optical, this suitcase in RIMOWA’s words “redefines boundaries.” This is done by “creating” an “illusion of the iconic groves disappearing.”

Designer: RIMOWA

In simpler words, the famous RIMOWA suitcase is made with a shimmering effect achieved by a brushing technique that gives the suitcase the illusion of movement. The Cabin Optical’s anodized aluminum exterior has an alternating brushed finish to create this illusion: so, when you are at the airport or in the hotel lobby, people could mistake your suitcase to be moving even when it’s standing beside you.

Such illusion happens because of these specially brushed groves that with the change in light and perspective create the illusion of movement. This interesting optical motif is not only limited to the exterior, interestingly RIMOWA carries it to the inside of its limited-edition Cabin Optical. Here the jacquard lining is directly woven with geometric patterns for a similar effect.

The Cabin Optical is available in 35 litter carry-on sized dimensions making it – according to the company – apt for three to four days of travel. The suitcase itself is pretty lightweight, weighing only 9.5lbs, and comes with a stage-free telescoping handle, RIMOWA’s Multiwheel system with cushioned axles, and Flex Divider.

It is strictly limited-edition of just 2,002 examples. The number is only chosen for its palindromic nature and has no relevance to the year, which I earlier thought to be the case.  Currently available for pre-order, with sales beginning November 7, the special silver Cabin Optical will set you back $2,050. If you are not ready to shell that kind of money, you can pick the suitcase in your choice of silver, emerald green, black and titanium for $1,430.

The post RIMOWA original suitcase gets alternate brushed finish to create the ‘optical’ illusion of movement first appeared on Yanko Design.