Rimowa GmbH (), often stylized as RIMOWA, is a high-quality

luggage Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip ...

manufacturer. The company was founded in 1898, in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. RIMOWA suitcases are widely known for their parallel

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

grooves, which have become characteristic of the brand. The company's headquarters and production have been located in

for 120 years. In October 2016, RIMOWA joined LVMH, becoming the group's first German company. From 2017 to 2021, the company was managed by Alexandre Arnault. Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert took over as CEO in 2021.

History

1898: Paul Morszeck Koffer-und Lederwaren-Fabrik

In 1898, Paul Morszeck and Heinrich Görtz founded the company under the name Görtz & Morszeck. By 1900, Paul Morszeck remained as the only director of the company.

1931: Registered RIMOWA as a trademark

In 1931, his son, Richard Morszeck, became involved in the company and registered the trademark RIMOWA at the Reich Patent Office in Berlin. "Rimowa" is an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

for Richard Morszeck Warenzeichen (with ''Warenzeichen'' meaning ''trademark'').

1937: First suitcase in Aluminium

In the 1930s, a fire in their factory burned most of their materials, leaving only

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

. As a result, the company used metal for cases.

2000: First suitcase in Polycarbonate

In 2000, the company introduced polycarbonate in box construction. RIMOWA produces its products in its own factories in

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. In 2013, 5,800 cases were produced daily.

2016: RIMOWA joined LVMH Group & Product Expansion

In October 2016, RIMOWA joined the LVMH Group and became its first German subsidiary, with Alexandre Arnault becoming CEO of the company. LVMH acquired an 80% stake for 640 million euros. Chief Brand Officer Hector Muelas and London branding design studio Commission created a new visual identity. In January 2021, Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert became CEO, coinciding with the launch of the brand's first line of backpacks and travel bags.

RIMOWA identity evolution: 1898 - Today

RIMOWA identity 1898.png, Identity 1898 - 1937 RIMOWA identity 1937.png, Identity 1937 - 1950 RIMOWA identity 1950.png, Identity 1950 - 1981 RIMOWA identity 1981.png, Identity 1981 - 2018 RIMOWA identity 2018.png, Identity 2018 - Today

Product Features

RIMOWA suitcases currently in production include the following features: * The Multiwheel System first patented by RIMOWA in 2001. * TSA-approved locks first introduced in 2006 for global airport security compliance. * Telescopic handles with stage-free adjustment. * Interior compartment equipped with two height-adjustable Flex Dividers that secure the contents of each suitcase.

Collaborations

RIMOWA has established several partnerships with well-known German brands, such as Lufthansa since 1998 for the brand's centenary, or with Porsche since 1999. As part of the partnership with Porsche, RIMOWA regularly produces special series of its suitcases with specific colours or designs. Nevertheless, since 2017, RIMOWA has made major changes in its strategy, moving from a product placement strategy to a strategy of close collaborations and long-term partnerships such as

Fendi Fendi () is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods. ...

, Monocle,

Moncler Moncler S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion house specialized in ready-to-wear outerwear headquartered in Milan, Italy. Since its start as a down jacket boutique, Moncler has expanded to design vests, raincoats, windbreakers, knitwear, leather ...

, Supreme,

Off-White Shades of white are colors that differ only slightly from pure white. Variations of white include what are commonly termed off-white colors, which may be considered part of a neutral color scheme or yellow that looks like brown. In color theo ...

Daniel Arsham Daniel Arsham (born 1980) is an American artist. He lives and works in New York City. Early life and education Born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Miami, Florida, Arsham was 12 when Hurricane Andrew destroyed his childhood home. This trau ...

, Anti Social Social Club, and the artist

Alex Israel Alex Israel (born October 1982) is an American multimedia artist, writer, and eyewear designer from Los Angeles. His work includes large, colorful airbrushed paintings of abstract gradients and Los Angeles skies, his self-portraits, painted on ...

Supreme

In 2018, New York skateboarding brand

Supreme (brand) Supreme is an American clothing and skateboarding lifestyle brand established in New York City in April 1994. The brand aims to appeal to youth culture in general as well as the skateboarding and hip hop scenes specifically. The company makes ...

and RIMOWA teamed up to create custom versions of the Original suitcase emblazoned with the Supreme logo. Made exclusively for Supreme, the limited-edition suitcase were available in Red and Black. In 2019, a second product drop was released, this time featuring Supreme's spider web design anodized into the aluminium surface of the RIMOWA Original cases. Available in Cabin Plus and Check-In L sizes, the collaboration included a co-branded black leather luggage tag, custom lining, and matching drawstring shoe bag featuring the Supreme logo.

Off-White

In 2018, RIMOWA collaborated with streetwear label

Off-White (company) Off-White (stylized as Off-White™ or OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH) is an Italian luxury fashion label founded by American designer Virgil Abloh. The company was incorporated in Milan in 2012. The label has collaborated with Nike, Levi's, Jimm ...

and its founder

Virgil Abloh Virgil Abloh (; September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. He was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection beginning in 2018, and was given increased creative responsibilitie ...

, also acting as Artistic Director of

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather ...

menswear. The capsule collection included a completely transparent Polycarbonate suitcase based on the Essential, titled "See Through", and an all-black Original case labelled with the words "Personal Belongings" in Off-White's signature block lettering and branded luggage belt. Due to its transparent design the "See Through" case forgoes interior lining and instead includes the Flex Divider system in black in addition to customised bags and an extra wheel set included in the product release.

Dior

In 2019, RIMOWA partnered with luxury fashion house Dior, and its Artistic Director of menswear

Kim Jones (designer) Kim Niklas Jones (born 11 September 1979) is an English fashion designer. He is a graduate of Central St Martins College of Art and Design. Early life and education Born in London, Jones spent his childhood in Ecuador, the Caribbean, and Afri ...

, to develop a joint capsule collection of exclusive luggage items. The collection includes custom versions of the RIMOWA Original Cabin and Original Trunk suitcases featuring the Dior Oblique design, a signature motif of the iconic house dating back to 1967. Also included in the collection was a revival of an archive piece - the RIMOWA and Dior Hand Case modelled on the RIMOWA "Piccolo" case of the 1990s - along with an all-new design called the RIMOWA Personal offering a portable size and cross-body strap. Another highlight of the collection was the Dior and RIMOWA Champagne case. The capsule collected debuted on the runway of the Dior's Men's Summer 2020 fashion show in Paris.

Daniel Arsham

In 2019, contemporary artist

and RIMOWA collaborated on a special-edition art project. Drawing inspiration from the RIMOWA brand archives in Cologne, Germany. Arsham created a numbered "eroded suitcase" series based on a vintage RIMOWA Attaché briefcase. Similar to ARSHAM's "Future Relic" series (2013 - 2018) where he imagines a variety everyday objects as archaeological discoveries from a future, dystopian world. In May 2019, the number 008/500 of this special edition was sold for US$14,000 at auction house Sotheby's in New York city.

Ambassadors

For the ‘Never Still’ global brand campaign, RIMOWA enlisted a series ambassadors to promote their new brand identity. Ambassadors featured in the ‘Never Still’ brand campaign include: *

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...

, American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers. * Rihanna, Barbadian singer, actress, fashion designer, and businesswoman. *

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

, American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and poet. *

, English fashion designer, Creative Director of Dior Men. *

Yuja Wang Yuja Wang (; born February 10, 1987) is a Chinese classical pianist. She was born in Beijing, began studying piano there at age six, and went on to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Curtis Institute of Music in Phil ...

, Chinese professional classical pianist. *

Roger Federer Roger Federer (; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-e ...

, Swiss professional

tennis player Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cove ...

, he has won 20

Grand Slam (tennis) The Grand Slam in tennis is the achievement of winning all four major championships in one discipline in a calendar year, also referred to as the "Calendar-year Grand Slam" or "Calendar Slam". In doubles, a team may accomplish the Grand Slam pl ...

singles titles. *

, American fashion designer, entrepreneur, artist, artistic director of

's men's wear collection. *

Adwoa Aboah Adwoa Caitlin Maria Aboah (born 18 May 1992) is a British fashion model. In December 2017 she appeared on the cover of British ''Vogue''. She has also been on the cover of ''American Vogue'', ''Vogue Italia'', '' Vogue Poland'', and ''i-D''. I ...

, British fashion model. * Yoon Ahn, Korean-American designer, founder of AMBUSH® and Dior Men Director of jewelry. *

Nobu Matsuhisa Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa (松久信幸 ''Matsuhisa Nobuyuki''; born March 10, 1949) is a Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur known for his fusion cuisine blending traditional Japanese dishes with Peruvian ingredients. His signature dish ...

, Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur.

Awards

References

External links

Official website
{{expand section, date=February 2020 Luggage brands Manufacturing companies established in 1898 Luggage manufacturers German brands Manufacturing companies based in Cologne 1898 establishments in Germany LVMH brands Luxury brands German subsidiaries of foreign companies