I am one of those people who swear by Rimowa luggage. It’s expensive, but you do get what you pay for and it is absolutely the best luggage I have ever used.
And the company is classy too — it has “luxurized” the brand so much that it can smugly assert that quality and Rimowa are synonymous. Part of the way it achieves this aura of sophisticated luxury and impeccable quality is through high-quality ad campaigns that typically assert that Rimowa is a remaining vestige of the “golden age” of travel, a way in which the luxurious past can still be enjoyed.
Rimowa’s 2015 Roaring 20’s ad campaign starring Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio perfectly exemplifies this. The campaign is not exactly new, but I just noticed it today and love it.
Great pictures above (all copyright Rimowa), but there is more to a bag than an attractive shell and the models who try to sell it. Does it hold up over time? How is the inside?
I’ve used a Rimowa Salsa 21″ Cabin Multiwheel in a matte black finish as carry-on for several years now and it has held up very well. The inside is still like new — no fraying, no broken zippers, and no unsightly scratches even though I’ve had to gate check the bag on several occasions. Price was about $500.
You could argue that I have bought into the Rimowa hype and pay double or triple than necessary for a bag and my point is not that you cannot get a perfectly good bag for cheaper. But I love my bag, have been 100% satisfied with the workmanship, and think it’s a pretty darn good looking bag too. Put another way, I won’t bag shop beyond the Rimowa catalog if I ever need a replacement or additional bag.
Check out the Rimowa Look Book (.pdf) with more photos.
I have seen first two pictures in my local airport. If Rimowa were trying to advertise their product, they failed miserably as most travellers, including I, had no idea what these pictures were about. However, I couldn’t help but admire classiness and impeccable quality of these photographs.