With 122 years of history on its belt, and a reputation for the world’s most durable (and stylish) luggage, Rimowa is ushering in a new era with its latest range: the Rimowa Personal. The brand is not a stranger to innovation, especially since its 28-year-old CEO Alexander Arnault took the reins of the company almost three years ago. Under his direction, the company has had various, exceedingly successful collaborations—Supreme, Off-White and Fendi, among them—and the Personal cases were the product of one such collaboration.
First seen on the Dior Men’s summer 2020 runway as a collaboration with Kim Jones, the miniaturised cases were an instant hit with both Dior and Rimowa customers. Naturally, this sparked Arnault’s interest in developing a line of chic accessories for Rimowa as well.
“It’s our vision to provide contemporary, functional and elegant solutions for journeys near and far that facilitate our customers’ diverse array of travel experiences,” Arnault told Vogue Singapore in an interview. “The opening up of new product categories is allowing us to explore a more multifaceted approach to travel and mobility.”
Enter the Rimowa Personal: fashioned from glossy polycarbonate, the hardy cases retain the iconic grooved exterior of its signature luggage, with the addition of luxe leather straps that allow the Personal to be slung across the body, hitched on a shoulder or grasped in hand. With regards to its capacity, you’ll be pleased to know that despite its proportions, it can securely fit an iPhone, a bifold wallet and other practical necessities you require on your daily commute.
Of course, the Rimowa Personal cases also signal a shift in brand’s move towards the idea of personal luxury and mobility. A savvy move by the brand, given the current pandemic restrictions still in place in most parts of the world. As Arnault tells us, “Responding to the needs of purposeful travellers today—[whose] needs extend well beyond just take-off and landing—it is Rimowa’s vision to provide contemporary, functional, and elegant solutions for journeys near and far.”
With that in mind, we’ve collaborated with three Singaporean photographers—Li Wanjie, Hosanna Swee and Clifford Loh—who have each captured their own personal interpretation of the new cases and tell us what travel means to them in this time.
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Li Wanjie
“We find joy in others and it reminds us of the elasticity of the relationships we forge—they stretch to fill incredible distances. Quite like how I define travel in this current time: on how my physical body could be here, but the love for a friend or a family member goes beyond any given space and time.”
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Hosanna Swee
“Travel, to me, is a state of mind. This photo explores the parallels between reality and imagination, capturing an interpretation of an alternate universe.”
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Clifford Loh
“I was inspired by French artist Marcel Duchamp’s use of ready-mades and found objects in which existing found and manufactured objects were appropriated into an artwork. Like Duchamp, I deliberately chose ordinary, functional objects that were available around me to complete this work: an old glass vase, acrylic box, and artwork canvases.”
The Rimowa Personal cases ($1,750 each) are now available in Rimowa stores worldwide.
