Rimowa Complete Re-Branding And Possibly E-Tag Luggage Discontinued.

Many people may not be aware, but LVMH bought an 80 percent stake in Rimowa in 2016.  This means that if they wanted to they could just auction it off for parts.  It's theirs, full-stop.  Apparently, the acquisition was encouraged by Alexandre Arnault, long-time Rimowa enthusiast, and grandson of the LVMH chairman, and billionaire, Bernard.  Rimowa was bought not only for Alexandre, but actually for Alexandre.  The 25 year old engineering graduate is CEO.

No doubt Alexandre was keen to make his mark, and decided what the brand needed was a big old shake up.  So he re-branded, redesigned the product, centralised the shopping experience online, created new corporate stores, and discontinued many lines.  In essence, a total and complete overhaul.

At first, we bemoaned the rich-kid-making-his-mark adage.  Oh woe is us, our beloved Rimowa ruined!  But the thing is, it's actually better.  There's no subtlety to what Alexandre has done,  he has not "tweaked and prodded", he took a sledgehammer to the Rimowa cases.  But when a Rimowa case gets damaged, a sledgehammer is exactly whats needed to get it back in shape.

First the re-design.  A sharp redefining of the full length stripes so they stop short of the end, quite simply, looks better.  Now the updated text.  Frankly it was so 80's it hurt.  The new Sans Serif is elegant and timeless.  The new packaging, considering they charge £1,000 for a case, the old cardboard box wasn't swinging it, the new packaging feels like the price point.  Online shopping, finally! It was so frustrating jumping between Rimowa and other sites checking serial numbers to make sure you are buying the case you want.  The corporate stores,  again, a necessity at the price point.

Now onto the big changes.  The most often seen logo will now be the "M" in a diamond.  This logo is inspired by both the cathedral spires of Cologne, and Rimowa's own original logo from the 19th century.  Does it look like Moncler?  Yes.  Is it nice?  Yes.  They could have gone crazy, but this is a look back and forward.  That's what makes it so nice.  Alexandres goes on and on about wanting to make something that lasts.  It's easy to be cynical about this when he rebrands, but by making a logo that is actually a re-creation of the original logo, it shows he really cares about the brands history.

Re-naming also brings some big changes: Topas - Original, Salsa - Essential, Salsa Air - Essential Lite, Limbo - Hybrid, Salsa Deluxe - Essential Sleeve, Classic - Still Classic.  All other ranges - Discontinued.  Frankly, this is welcomed, the old names were confusing, and redundant. 

And anyone worried about the five year warranty offered previously, fret not, still in place under Arnault junior.

Finally, onto the negative.  While the new M logo on the wheels is great, unfortunately, the new Sans Serif logo on the add a bag holder sees on all ranges the same solid block of metal that the Classic range has.  The new design has done away with the add a bag holder completely.  You will need to buy a separate one if you liked this feature.

And last but not least, the new website has no mention, nor images, in relation to the E-Tag Electronic luggage that Rimowa released just two years ago.  This revolutionary addition was supposed to be the future of luggage tags.  It was meant to provide consumers with convenience, and also with a form of location tracking, as you can bluetooth connect to the bag on the plane to know it's boarded.  Currently the old Rimowa site still functions, and there are 4 airlines supporting it, but no dice on rimowa's shiny new corporate e-commerce site. 

All in all the new look Rimowa is amazing.  It looks and feels as premium as it always has been.  It now deserves the price just a little more.  Is it worth rushing out and upgrading?  No, especially not if you like the add a bag holder!  Is there bad?  Yes, the E-Tag luggage was always exciting, loosing it feels odd.  But is it a big thumbs up?  absolutely.