• Website: rimowa.com
• Founded: 1898, Cologne, Germany
• Founder: Paul Morszeck
• Owned By: LVMH
• Known For: Grooved aluminum luggage, Original Cabin, Essential Collection
• Category Focus: Luxury luggage, travel accessories, mobility products
RIMOWA is one of the world’s most iconic luxury travel brands, renowned for its grooved aluminum suitcases, German engineering, and innovative approach to modern mobility. Founded in Cologne, Germany, in 1898, the company evolved from a small luggage workshop into one of the most influential names in premium travel goods.
Known for blending durability, functionality, and timeless industrial design, RIMOWA has transformed luggage from a practical necessity into a luxury lifestyle product. Its signature grooved shells, inspired by early aircraft construction, have become one of the most recognizable design codes in travel.
Today, RIMOWA operates as one of the luxury maisons within LVMH and continues expanding beyond luggage into bags, accessories, and mobility-focused products.
Rimowa Original Cabin
Rimowa Classic Cabin
Rimowa Essential Cabin
Rimowa Hybrid Cabin
Rimowa Trunk Plus
Rimowa Pilot Case
Rimowa Never Still
Rimowa Personal Cross-Body Bag
RIMOWA’s story began in 1898, when Paul Morszeck established a workshop in Cologne, Germany. Initially producing trunks, saddlery products, and travel goods, the company gradually evolved alongside the changing nature of travel.
The company’s major breakthrough came during the 1930s when Richard Morszeck experimented with aluminum construction. After a factory fire destroyed much of the company's traditional materials, aluminum became the foundation for a new generation of lightweight suitcases.
The grooved aluminum design, inspired by the fuselage of early aircraft, eventually became the company’s defining signature.
Key milestones:
• 1898: Paul Morszeck founds the company in Cologne.
• 1931: The RIMOWA trademark is officially registered.
• 1937: Introduction of the first aluminum suitcase.
• 1950: Launch of the grooved aluminum design.
• 2000: Introduction of polycarbonate luggage.
• 2016: LVMH acquires an 80% stake in RIMOWA for approximately €640 million.
• 2017: Alexandre Arnault becomes co-CEO and leads brand transformation.
• 2023: RIMOWA celebrates its 125th anniversary through the "SEIT 1898" exhibition.
• 2025–2026: Expansion into mobility, accessories, and lifestyle products.
RIMOWA played a major role in transforming luggage from a functional product into a luxury category of its own.
“RIMOWA accomplished something very few travel brands have achieved: it turned luggage into an object of desire. Its aluminum grooves became a design language that is instantly recognizable, making RIMOWA as influential in travel as Rolex is in watches.”
RIMOWA matters because it transformed travel equipment into a luxury design object.
Its influence can be seen across:
• The evolution of luxury luggage
• The rise of travel as a lifestyle category
• The fusion of engineering and design
• The transformation of mobility products into status symbols
By combining German engineering, innovative materials, and timeless design, RIMOWA continues to shape the future of luxury travel.
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