JUST IN CASE

Rimowa marks the official return of its cult and insider-favourite Original Pilot Case with a breathtaking film by Director Albert Moya.

- Gordon Ng

Rimowa is the king on baggage carousels of telecasting frequent-flyer status. But there’s one particularly elusive style of luggage that until now, was on a different level of exclusivity: the Original Pilot Case. Originally designed and launched in 1994 for pilots, it features a unique opening from the top that’s meant to give them easy access in the cockpit.

Over the years though, the Pilot Case has been appropriated by maverick creatives the world over. Some of its earliest adopters were deejays, who used the serendipitously sized and famously protective suitcases to transport their vinyl records and equipment. The German brand smartly realised the potential of this organic creative adaptability, and is bringing the Original Pilot Case back this year in an official mode.

To mark its return, the brand tapped acclaimed Director Albert Moya (whose directing credits include a host of big names like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Loewe, Prada and Dries Van Noten) and his moody, evocative style of filmmaking. Moya took the item back to its aviation roots, and filmed inside the European Transonic Wind Tunnel in Cologne, a facility meant for aerodynamic tests on planes.

We catch up with him to explain his filmmaking process to us in seven questions.