The German luggage manufacturer Rimowa has obtained an almost legendary status with its grooved aluminium luxury suitcases. After three years of designing, the brand has now launched a shrunken, handbag-sized version of the iconic luggage.
Rimowa’s suitcases come with a lifelong guarantee on all functional damage and even though that’s great as a customer, as a brand, it means people aren’t buying their products all that often. Developing new products, which customers can add to their collection, is therefore key in order to assure new income. Over the past few years, Rimowa has gradually been adding a range of accessories to its collection, going from backpacks to smartphone cases.
Now, it was time to add a handbag to the list as well. One that looked like a shrunken version of its original suitcases and is this fittingly named The Original Bag. The fashion accessory took 3 years of designing, in order to make it not just unisex but also as handy as possible.
“This is a milestone for us because it’s our first foray into fashion,” says Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert, Rimowa’s CEO, in an interview with Fast Company. “If you’re on your phone or on a bicycle, you need to be able to access it easily. It took years of prototyping and iterations to be able to get the design right.”
The bag is made out of lightweight aluminium, leather and a canvas strap. Its 200 individual pieces are all made at Rimowa’s factory in Cologne and are designed to last a lifetime. However, that doesn’t mean your handbag can’t show a few signs of its travels.
“People who love our suitcases have a sense of pride about the dents on the aluminium,” he says. “It’s a sign of how much you’ve used it and how many places you’ve taken it to.”
For the launch of The Original Bag, Rimowa worked together with creative agency Anomaly and filmmaker Jordan Hemmingway in order to make a promo movie. Model Liu Wen, musician Central Cee, creative director IB Kamara and photographer Larissa Hofmann were all involved in portraying the handbag’s many uses.
The Original Bag comes two colorways, silver and black. At 1.750 euros, it will be able to compete with some of the market’s most upscale fashion brands.
