ADVERTISEMENT
The only thing harder than getting your hands on a Dior Saddle Bag this season is getting them on a limited-edition Rimowa suitcase. If you hadn’t heard of the 120-year-old luggage company until recently, there’s a good reason. Everything changed for the German brand in 2006 after it was acquired by luxury conglomerate LVMH and Alexandre Arnault was named co-CEO. Twenty-six-year-old Arnault, son of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, brought his love of streetwear brands to Rimowa through a series of collaborations, putting its high-end luggage on the map in a big way.
Demand for this year’s team-ups — including a red-and-white case with the New York-based skateboard brand Supreme and a see-through case with the French luxury streetwear brand Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh — far exceeded supply. Since the luggage collabs are released in such small quantities and Arnault plans to do fewer collaborations in the future, the suitcases have quickly become one of fashion’s most sought-out accessories.
“When Supreme did the collaboration with Rimowa, people were going crazy,” says Toronto wardrobe stylist, Lisa Gozlan, whose company LRG is dedicated to sourcing hard-to-get luxury items. Gozlan tried tracking down a Rimowa X Supreme case for a family member earlier this year; it wasn’t easy. “It took calling the Rimowa store several times a week for at least a month…. It’s a lot of checking-in and being one of the first people to say, ‘I 100% want that bag,’” she says. “Eventually we found out it was coming, and the whole family ran because we were so excited to see it.” They were one of the lucky few — the Rimowa X Supreme bags sold out online in 16 seconds. But when the Off-White collaboration was announced, getting one was more straight-forward. “Once we got one and had a connection, for the next round, they wrote us asking if we wanted one,” Gozlan says.
Hype for the collaboration travel bags only seems to get bigger with celeb endorsements. Bella Hadid and Eva Chen have been spotted travelling with the Supreme and Off-White cases respectively. And the statement suitcase trend doesn’t just begin and end with Rimowa collabs. Some celebs have long been loyal to the fashion houses: Sarah Jessica Parker and Rihanna have been toting Louis Vuitton for years. There are some new cool brands like Away that offer style with a more accessible price tag — Karlie Kloss, Ashley Graham, and Margot Robbie are all fans.
Ahead, seven pieces of luggage more coveted than the clothes you might pack in them.
ADVERTISEMENT