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Bags of style
Travelling with panache requires bags of style and the most prestigious designers are competing for a slice of this lucrative market. If you are going to travel, then you need luggage and whilst style is of prime importance, you also need your belongings to arrive in pristine condition.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the demand for travel by rail and sea had seen tremendous growth. The increasing popularity of travel meant a requirement for new designs of luggage to suit the newly emerging luxury transport. This was an era when travel was for pleasure and excitement. The prestigious luggage names of the time included Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Goyard, all still very much a part of today’s vibrant market. The beginnings of travel luggage included bulky items such as trunks and chests. These were frequently made of cedar, oak, pine, and other strong woods, or strong hard-wearing animal hide–including cow, horse and deer – that protected the items inside. The quality of the materials and the workmanship of the time meant they would last many years, becoming antiques and family heirlooms. With safety a prime consideration, 1938 saw the dawn of the aluminium luggage industry, when Earle P. Halliburton, a globetrotting businessman, commissioned a team of aircraft engineers to design a lightweight case capable of enduring his tough physical travel needs. The aluminium cases that emerged as a result of their research became renowned as Halliburton cases and remain in high demand today as Zero Halliburton.
As travel shifted increasingly from surface to air in the 1950s, new players in the market emerged: Rimowa became famous for its pioneering work with lightweight aluminium luggage. Today, they still manufacture quality aluminium suitcases and are also responsible for the revolution in lightweight luggage using hi-tech materials. Using ‘space-age’ properties and manufacturing techniques, they now manufacture ultra-lightweight polycarbonate luggage that, while not as rigid as aluminium, is lighter and more resilient. With the ever more stringent airline restrictions, every pound can count.
In a far cry from today’s crowded and bustling airports where help is rarely to be found, in the heyday of luxury travel, trunks were loaded onto boats and trains by the willing hands of uniformed porters. Today, myriad forms of luggage exist – suitcases, totes, duffel bags, cases, bags and briefcases – but the discerning 21st century traveller remains reluctant to sacrifice convenience for style and some of the world’s leading design houses have shown that there is no need to do so, if you have the money. From pop stars to prime ministers, the message is the same – the name on your luggage is almost as important as the name on your passport.
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