Come Away With Me

Rimowa's travelling Seit 1898 exhibition makes its way from Tokyo to New York City with a selection of suitcases from some of the world's biggest stars. Here, relive the retrospective and delve into the brand's cult relevance as explained by senior vice president of product and marketing, Emelie De Vitis.

- MAYA MENON

On 8 September, German luxury luggage brand Rimowa’s 125th anniversary was marked by the opening of the 10-day Seit 1898—translated to Since 1898—exhibition. After its debut in Tokyo’s Jing Harajuku exhibition space on 9 June, it made its way to New York City. The travelling showcase is set to end in Cologne, Germany, in spring 2024. In the Big Apple, Rimowa’s retrospective was hosted within the sprawling space of Chelsea Factory, with the intention of recapturing the cultural and technological significance of the brand and its association with discerning travellers. Each location, the brand notes, has a special place in its legacy. Tokyo demonstrates Rimowa’s reach by being one of the first global commerce destinations, New York mirrors its intersection with fashion and Cologne is a homage to its roots. “Each of these cases carries countless personal histories. And every sticker or custom design reveals we travel to find ourselves as much as to connect with others,” reads the exhibition’s pamphlet.

The journey of the heritage brand began in Cologne, in the saddlery shop of its founder, Paul Morszeck. An early adopter of the automobile, Morszeck was an avid traveller. He fashioned a cabin case that was the first of its kind. Made out of wood, vulcanised fibre, brass, leather straps and fabric lining, Cabin Case No. 714 would start it all. Conceptualised to fit under the berths of trains and steamships, this particular luggage was designed with seamless transport in mind. Once air travel became popular, his son Richard Morszeck introduced metal suitcases that would allow jet-setters to fly in style. This is thought to have been perpetuated by a supposed factory fire in the 1930s that engulfed and eradicated everything except for aluminium.