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Rimowa

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Rimowa
Company typeGmbH
IndustryTravel
Founded1898; 126 years ago (1898)
FounderPaul Morszeck
Headquarters
Cologne
,
Germany
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert, CEO
Products
Owner
Websiterimowa.com

Rimowa GmbH (German pronunciation: [ʁɪˈmoːva]), often stylized as RIMOWA, is a luxury luggage manufacturer. The company was founded in 1898, in Cologne, Germany.

Rimowa suitcases are widely known for their parallel aluminium grooves, which have become characteristic of the brand.[1] The company's headquarters and production have been located in Cologne for 120 years.

In October 2016, LVMH purchased an 80% stake in Rimowa,[2] which became the group's first German company.[3] From 2017 to 2021, the company was managed by Alexandre Arnault.[4] Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert took over as CEO in 2021.[5]

History

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Paul Morszeck Kofferfabrik, 1898

In 1898, Paul Morszeck and Heinrich Görtz founded the company under the name Görtz & Morszeck. By 1900, Paul Morszeck remained as the sole director of the company. 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 for Richard Morszeck Warenzeichen (with Warenzeichen meaning trademark).[citation needed]

In the 1930s, a fire in their factory burned most of their materials,[6] leaving only aluminum. As a result, the company used metal for cases. In 2000, the company introduced polycarbonate in box construction.

In October 2016, Rimowa joined the LVMH Group and became its first German subsidiary, with Alexandre Arnault becoming CEO of the company.[7] LVMH acquired an 80% stake for 640 million euros.[8] Chief Brand Officer Hector Muelas and London branding design studio Commission created a new visual identity.[9] In January 2021, Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert became CEO,[5] coinciding with the launch of the brand's first line of backpacks and travel bags.[10]

Rimowa produces its products in its own factories in Germany, Czech Republic, and Canada. In 2013, 5,800 cases were produced daily.

Rimowa identity evolution: 1898–present

[edit]
  • Identity 1898 - 1937
    Identity 1898 - 1937
  • Identity 1937 - 1950
    Identity 1937 - 1950
  • Identity 1950 - 1981
    Identity 1950 - 1981
  • Identity 1981 - 2018
    Identity 1981 - 2018
  • Identity 2018 - Today
    Identity 2018 - Today

Product features

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Rimowa suitcases currently in production include the following features:

  • The Multiwheel System first patented by Rimowa in 2001.[11]
  • TSA-approved locks first introduced in 2006 for global airport security compliance.[12]
  • Telescopic handles with stage-free adjustment.[13]
  • Interior compartment equipped with two height-adjustable Flex Dividers that secure the contents of each suitcase.[14]

Product lines and names

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The cases of Rimowa were produced in serveral product lines and qualities of

  • aluminum,
  • polycarbonate or
  • leather.

The former product line - before the taking over of LVMH - had the following names for decades:

  • Topas,
  • Limbo,
  • Salsa,
  • Pilot,
  • Silver Classic,
  • Classic Flight,
  • Columbus and
  • Attaché (für small briefcases)

Since 2018 exist the following product lines:

  • Classic (more od less the same as Silver Classic),
  • Distinct (leather with simple zipper),
  • Essential (polycarbonate with simple zipper),
  • Hammerschlag (german for hammer blow),
  • Hybrid (made of both alumninum ans polycarbonate),
  • Original (more or less the same as Topas) and
  • Gewa (a special line für violine cases)


  • Iconic Rimowa products
    Iconic Rimowa products
  • Rare briefcase Attaché
    Rare briefcase Attaché
  • Realiable factory number with model year
    Realiable factory number with model year
  • Special features
    Special features
  • Repairable details
    Repairable details

Ecological Impact

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Rimowa products are very sustainable since the value of well treated suitcases can hold for decades. Even 20 or 30 years old products can be repaired in special workshops. Even rodden Rimowa products with lots of scratches and stickers can be easily restored, got back in good condition and emit vintage flair on fancy travellers.

Collaborations

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Rimowa has established several partnerships with well-known German brands, such as Lufthansa since 1998[15] for the brand's centenary, or with Porsche since 1999.[16] 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,[17] moving from a product placement strategy to a strategy of close collaborations and long-term partnerships such as Fendi,[18] Monocle, Moncler,[19] Supreme,[20] Off-White,[21] Daniel Arsham,[22] Anti Social Social Club,[23] and the artist Alex Israel.[24]

Rimowa x Supreme Cabin Red 45L, 2018

Supreme

[edit]

In 2018, New York skateboarding brand Supreme 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.[25] 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.[26]

Off-White

[edit]

In 2018, Rimowa collaborated with streetwear label Off-White and its founder Virgil Abloh, also acting as Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton 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.[27]

Dior

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In 2019, Rimowa partnered with luxury fashion house Dior, and its Artistic Director of menswear Kim Jones, 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.[28] 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.[29]

Daniel Arsham

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In 2019, contemporary artist Daniel Arsham 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.[30] 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.[31] Arsham has continued to work with Rimowa, releasing in September 2022 two 500 piece limited editions of pilots cases in silver or black containing eroded turntables.[32]

Ambassadors

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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:

Awards

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Year Country Awards Category Ranking Product
2010 USA Travel + Leisure[46] Best Luggage 1st place Salsa Deluxe
2014 Germany Red Dot Award[47] Online (Homepage) 1st place Rimowa
2015 Germany Welt (Munich Strategy Group)[48] Top 100 Small- and medium-sized companies 1st place Rimowa
2015 Global Future Travel Experience[49] Best Baggage Initiative 1st place Rimowa & Lufthansa for Rimowa Electronic Tag
2016 Germany Innovations-Champions 2016 Munich Strategy Group 1st place Rimowa
2016 Germany Digital Pioneer 2016[50] Digital Pioneer 1st place Rimowa Electronic Tag
2017 Germany Art Directors Club[51] Digitale Medien Craft > Innovative Technologie 1st place Rimowa Electronic Tag
2017 USA Surface Travel Awards[52] Luggage high-end 1st place Rimowa Electronic Tag
2017 Germany Art Directors Club[51] Digitale Medien > Usage innovant des réseaux sociaux 2nd place Rimowa Electronic Tag
2017 France Cannes Lions[53] Mobile A Technology A07 Connected Devices 2nd place Rimowa Electronic Tag
2017 USA CLIO Awards[54] Digital / Mobile Other 2nd place Rimowa Electronic Tag
2017 Germany Deutscher Digital Award[55] 9.2 Transformation Digitale - Innovation 2nd place Rimowa Electronic Tag
2017 UK London International Awards THE NEW Product Innovation Shortlist Rimowa Electronic Tag
2019 USA Fast Company Awards [56] 50 Most Innovative Companies Shortlist Rimowa Product Range
2019 USA Fast Company Awards [57] The 9 most timeless designs of the past 25 years Shortlist Rimowa Original Cabin silver suitcase
2019 USA Surface Magazine [58] The Best New Luggage of The Year 1st place Rimowa x Alex Israel suitcase

References

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  1. ^ "How Rimowa Got its Groove". Surface. 21 September 2019.
  2. ^ "LVMH to Take 80% Stake in German Luggage Brand Rimowa". New York Times. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  3. ^ "LVMH buys 80 percent of German luggage group Rimowa". Reuters. 4 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Another Arnault Takes Charge". The New York Times. 6 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert named CEO of Rimowa". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Rimowa Displays the Lasting Power of Its Iconic Aluminum Suitcases". Forbes. 10 October 2017.
  7. ^ "How Alexandre Arnault Is Making a 120-Year-Old Luggage Brand Relevant Again". Fashionista. 14 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Another Arnault takes charge". The New York Times. 6 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Rimowa celebrates its 120th anniversary with a new visual identity". 18 January 2018.
  10. ^ Mercer, Emily (21 January 2021). "Market Moments: Rimowa Launches 'Never Still' Lifestyle Bags". WWD. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  11. ^ "10 Things to Know About Rimowa". Complex. 14 November 2019.
  12. ^ "How to Spot Real Rimowa Luggage". RealStyle. 21 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Rimowa Classic Trunk Receives Silver Aluminum Version". HypeBeast. 19 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Expert Packing Tips from Rimowa". Travel and Style. 8 April 2013.
  15. ^ "Lufthansa launches Rimowa Electronic Tag at FTE Global 2015". Future Travel Experience. 25 September 2015.
  16. ^ "Porsche Design x Rimowa "RS 2.7" PTS Lightweight Collection". HypeBeast. 3 August 2015.
  17. ^ "Case study: Why Rimowa rules the luggage carousel". Financial Times. 30 January 2018.
  18. ^ Marchese, Keiron (16 July 2018). "Rimowa taps Fendi for second luxe aluminum cabin trolley collaboration". DesignBoom. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  19. ^ Phelps, Nicole (3 February 2020). "Moncler Genius Adds Jonathan Anderson and Rimowa to Its Group of Collaborators". Vogue. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Collab of the day: Supreme x Rimowa". 9 April 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  21. ^ "Exclusive: Rimowa and Off-White Are Releasing a New Luggage Collection". GQ. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  22. ^ Ozemebhoya, Esiwahomi (6 May 2019). "Daniel Arsham x Rimona Transform a Suitcase Into a Work of Art". Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  23. ^ "The Anti Social Social Club x Rimowa Collab Now Has a Release Date". highsnobiety.com. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  24. ^ "Rimowa teams up with L.A. artist Alex Israel on new suitcases". Los Angeles Times. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  25. ^ "The Supreme x Rimowa Drop Brought out London's Travel-Obsessed Fans". Hypebeast. 12 April 2018.
  26. ^ "Travel in Style With Rimowa x Supreme's New Check-In and Carry-On Suitcases". Hypebae. 11 November 2019.
  27. ^ "Exclusive: Rimowa and Off-White Are Releasing a New Luggage Collection". GQ. 20 February 2020.
  28. ^ "Take a Closer Look at the Dior x Rimowa SS20 Luggage Capsule". Hypebeast. 25 November 2019.
  29. ^ "Dior Men and Rimowa Unveil a Monogram Collaboration on the Spring 2020 Runway". VOGUE. 21 June 2019.
  30. ^ "Daniel Arsham brings a vintage Rimowa suitcase back to life". designboom. 2 May 2019.
  31. ^ "Rimowa x Daniel Arsham: ED 008/500 (Special Edition)". Sotheby's. 13 May 2019.
  32. ^ Ajudua, Christine (30 September 2022). "Rimowa Taps Artist Daniel Arsham to Recreate Its Classic Pilot Case With a Mysterious Cargo Inside". Artnet News. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  33. ^ "Style Edit: How travel brought LeBron James and Rimowa together". scmp. 24 June 2019.
  34. ^ a b "Never Still | Redefining Travel | Rimowa". www.rimowa.com. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  35. ^ Never Still | A New Era of Travel with Rihanna, retrieved 23 January 2022
  36. ^ Tingley, Anna (16 September 2021). "Rihanna and Patti Smith Join Star-Studded Rimowa Campaign". Variety. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  37. ^ Rimowa Never Still | A New Era of Travel, retrieved 23 January 2022
  38. ^ Collings, Richard (16 September 2021). "Patti Smith Headlines Rimowa's Star-Studded Call to Travel". Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  39. ^ "Kim Jones Shares His Never Ending Story". VOGUE. 29 May 2019.
  40. ^ "What Globe-Trotting Piano Prodigy Yuja Wang Can't Travel Without". Robb Report. 24 July 2019.
  41. ^ "Federer Lands New Sponsor; Becomes Rimowa Brand Ambassador". Perfect Tennis. 8 September 2018.
  42. ^ "Virgil Abloh, Roger Federer can never be still in Rimowa luggage 120th anniversary campaign". The Drum. 7 September 2018.
  43. ^ "How Travel Helped Adwoa Aboah Beat Her Demons". ELLE. 10 September 2018.
  44. ^ "Yoon Ahn's Dreams Realization with Rimowa". Luxuvere. 10 September 2018.
  45. ^ "Nobu Matsuhisa's Inspirational Steps with Rimowa". Luxuvere. 10 September 2018.
  46. ^ "Rimowa Wins Travel & Leisure Design Award". PR News Wire. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  47. ^ "Red Dot Design Awards". Red Dot. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  48. ^ Dierig, Carsten (13 December 2015). "Das sind die wahren Stars der deutschen Wirtschaft". Die Welt. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  49. ^ "5th FTE Awards recognise Delta, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Qantas, JetBlue, Schiphol Group, Melbourne Airport, Emirates, KLM, easyJet, Rimowa, DSG and IndiGo". Future Travel Experience. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  50. ^ "Rimowa Remporte Le Prix "Digital Pioneer 2016"". GoetzPartners. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  51. ^ a b "Winners - Rimowa Electronic Tag". ADC Europe. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  52. ^ "Surface Travel Awards 2017". Surface Mag. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  53. ^ "Rimowa Electronic Tag". We Love Ad. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  54. ^ "Rimowa Electronic Tag". Clios. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  55. ^ "Gewinner 2017 - 9.2 Digitale Transformation – Innovation". Deutscher Digital Award. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  56. ^ "Most Innovative Companies". Fast Company. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  57. ^ "The 9 most timeless designs of the past 25 years". Fast Company. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  58. ^ "Take a Look at The Best New Luggage of The Year". Surface. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
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