Do you really want to know? It’s not what you may think. I deliberately played on your curiosity with this headline so you’d want to read more. But my message is nonetheless an important one.
I want to share with you something sexy, something stylish, and something that I could personally not live without….. a suitcase. But not just any suitcase. This one has a story.
Tell me, what is the most dangerous thing you can do?
It’s called taking a Suitcase Entrepreneur into a Rimowa suitcase shop, which is what my good friend Gabi did last year when I was in Los Angeles.
Not just any suitcase shop – a shop dedicated to suitcases that blew my mind. RIMOWA, as my German friend pointed out, is a German company, that makes some of the highest quality and sexiest luggage in the world.
They also make it so seriously gorgeous that I fell in love the minute I walked in the shop. I was in heaven. Here’s proof:
This suitcase was actually several decades old and one of the original suitcases they designed still going strong!
This article isn’t about how, with some insistence on my behalf, they decided to sponsor me after I sent this compelling message in an email:
We show people how to create freedom in business and adventure in life.
RIMOWA does the same.
Or the fact that they sent me their amazing Air Salsa check in suitcase, in purple, that I can almost lift just with my pinky finger and lovingly fawn over in this short video
It’s actually about what drew me to them in the first place. After visiting a shop in Beverly Hills dedicated to their luggage, I did some more digging.
It turns out Rimowa knows their market very well, and I was beyond impressed at how they are rocking their online presence with a fancy website that immediately shows you who they consider their target market.
They have a thriving Facebook page where they do a great job of profiling their latest range, asking the right questions and showing how they’re supporting their customers with fashion inspired luggage that lasts a lifetime.
Travel Inspired by Fashion
They actually design their lines around the latest trends and what the travel savvy most want. RIMOWA is known for its vibrant fashion colours that combine innovative design with durable functionality.
So the Salsa Air line offers consumers chic durability. In fact, they recently unveiled Pearl Rose, a pale pink, which represents the softer side of Salsa Air while still turning heads with its sleek lines and classic design.
Their Executive Vice President of RIMOWA North America, Carsten Kulcke, takes it one step further with this press statement, “Pearl Rose is the epitome of understated design that still creates an impact.”
And here you thought suitcases were just for getting you from A to B without falling apart, spilling your prized panties all over the tarmac, and keeping your precious cargo safe from being thrown around like crazy from luggage hold to carousel.
Good Looks and Substance
As you know, I’m not really one for just looking good… you have to back it up with substance. After lugging around my extremely solid and heavy (around 6.5kgs when empty) Airport suitcase for 6 years, even though it served me well, even I was a little baffled as to why I didn’t switch sooner.
The Salsa Air is RIMOWA’s most lightweight line at just 2.9kg, which is 26% lighter than any other Rimowa product, and is 100 percent pure polycarbonate. By building the shell of the case with three layers of the nearly indestructible polycarbonate, the appearance of scuffs and scratches is minimized, which is why after my flight from LAX to AKL it still looked brand new.
I was hanging out on the Flyer Talk Forum to see what others had to say about it and found some customer proof including:
“T__he Salsa Air shell is definitely about 15%-20% thinner vs. Salsa or Salsa Deluxe (which use identical shells) so has more flex. That’s how they managed to slim the weight down. Well, that plus the single handle, the no-frills interior and slightly smaller wheels. It’s good for what it’s made of though, really amazingly light and a breeze to carry.”
I have to agree, one of the best features was the fact that it moves along effortlessly on all four wheels in upright position (aka Multiwheel® functionality). It’s like a stealth cat, so quiet you can’t even hear it.
The cases also come with a five-year warranty and a TSA-approved lock, which is really cool as the zip ends simply lock in. The telescopic handle was shorter than I imagined, but the beauty of that is you don’t take people out by dragging your case so far behind you when you’re walking.
Ze Price is Right
As Ze Germans would say – I’m half German so I can totally make that claim – you pay for quality like this. Cases range in price from $495 – $625, and you can grab one at select retailers in more than 50 countries. You may think that’s a little pricey if you’re a budget traveler, but here’s my take on it.
This suitcase will last me at least 5 years (more likely 10), which means I’m paying around $50-100 a year to ensure my luggage travels safely and securely (and stylishly) all over the world, saves me on overweight fees and will endure almost anything thrown at it. So I don’t need to keep buying cheap ones that crap out after 6 months. You do the math.
If you’re in the market for a lovely new suitcase and potential love affair, then visit www.rimowa.com
What makes a great suitcase in your mind?