Rimowa

Rimowa GmbH, 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.[3] The company's headquarters and production have been located in Cologne for 120 years.

In October 2016, LVMH purchased an 80% stake in Rimowa,[4] which became the group's first German company.[5] From 2017 to 2021, the company was managed by Alexandre Arnault.[6] Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert took over as CEO in 2021.[7]

History

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).

In the 1930s, a fire in their factory burned most of their materials,[8] leaving only aluminum. As a result, the company used metal for cases, which would become a signature of the brand. 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.[9] LVMH acquired an 80% stake for 640 million euros.[10] Chief Brand Officer Hector Muelas and London branding design studio Commission created a new visual identity.[11] In January 2021, Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert became CEO,[7] coinciding with the launch of the brand's first line of backpacks and travel bags.[12]

Rimowa produces its products entirely in its own factories in Germany, Czech Republic, and Canada. Rimowa cases are known for being very expensive, with pre-tax retail prices for aluminum cases ranging from approximately $1,525 - $10,000 USD.[13][14]

Aeroplane

In 2016, Rimowa released their replicas Junkers F.13 with production until 2019. Its maiden flight took place in 2016 and retailed for US$2,000,000.

Product lines and names

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

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

Since 2018 exist the following product lines:

• aluminum,
• leather,
• or polycarbonate

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

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

Collaborations

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 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]

Ambassadors

For the ‘Never Still’ global brand campaign, LVMH enlisted a series of celebrity owners of Rimowa luggage to promote their new brand identity.

Ambassadors featured in the brand's campaigns include:

• LeBron James,[33] American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers.
• Rihanna,[34][35][36] Barbadian singer, actress, fashion designer, and businesswoman.
• Patti Smith,[34][37][38] American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and poet.
• Kim Jones,[39] English fashion designer, creative director of Dior Men.
• Yuja Wang,[40] Chinese professional classical pianist.
• Roger Federer,[41] Swiss professional tennis player, he has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
• Virgil Abloh,[42] American fashion designer, entrepreneur, artist, artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's wear collection.
• Adwoa Aboah,[43] British fashion model.
• Yoon Ahn,[44] Korean-American designer, founder of Ambush and Dior Men's director of jewelry.
• Nobu Matsuhisa,[45] Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur.
• Jay Chou,[46] Singer Songwriter.
• ROSÉ, [47] Singer.

Awards

External links

• Official website