Ode to travel

In Alain de Botton’s The Art of Travel, the philosophical writer explains to us why we venture into destinations outside of the familiar and reminds us how traveling, despite its taxing nature, is still one of the most significant expressions of human freedom. It took several chapters for me to appreciate De Botton’s musings on travel — with the right piece of luggage, however, all it takes is a single glance. Not to take anything away from the Swiss author’s masterful literary style, but seeing one particular piece of luggage from Rimowa’s Museum Collection unfettered the wanderlust within me yet again, in the same way it did when De Botton started talking about exotic Amsterdam.

This piece of luggage is made of lightweight aluminum, pretty much the luxurious signature of German luggage brand Rimowa since the ’50s. It also boasts another Rimowa mark: raised ridges all along the body. You can barely see the striations on this particular piece, however, littered as it is all over with stickers of hotels and airline companies from all over the world, most of them already faded and peeling. Had you tried to take them off, though, you’d end of up with bits of sticker corners and grimy nails. Those stickers could have been permanently glued; you probably couldn’t even steam them off.

You see, this particular piece of luggage is from way back in 1978 — which explains all the scuffs and scratches. It’s a heritage piece, really. You can see by all the stickers, however, that its former owner used it well and touted it around with pride, before he or she decided to donate it to Rimowa’s Museum Collection.

The Museum Collection is essentially a compacted set containing various pieces of luggage that document how Rimowa evolved from a luggage factory set up by Paul Morszeck in the late 19th century to the luxury luggage maker it is now. Its oldest display dates back to the ‘30s — a sturdy leather suitcase created a few years before Morszeck’s son Richard, a great fan of aviation and airline aluminum, conceptualized the first “overseas trunk made of light metal.” This idea was perfected in 1950 when the company made its first suitcase out of structural aluminum. Thus, a signature style was born.

Also in the display is another sticker-riddled aluminum case from the ‘70s (you can tell by the iconic red tongue Rolling Stones sticker that its owner was not just your run-of-the-mill business type), a weirdly-shaped elongated case made of what looks suspiciously like leather and an old briefcase that looks as if it might crumble into dust when handled. On display in the Rimowa store in Greenbelt 5, this compact collection introduces a nostalgic vibe to a store that is completely, irrevocably modern. Looking at it, you can almost hear Frank Sinatra belting out Come Fly with Me in your head. That image drastically alters when you take in all the sleek pieces from the recent collection. Striated aluminum is not the only draw now.

In 2000, Rimowa, now under Dieter Morszeck, started creating luggage made of polycarbonate, a new kind of plastic that’s impact-resistant (try sitting on it; instead of cracking, the dents will just pop back out). It’s “practically indestructible,” extremely thin and extremely lightweight. It’s also the same material used in making integral helmets; surely what can save your head can protect and store your clothing, right?

All Rimowa cases, from the ‘30s to present, have one thing in common: each one’s smooth, solid finish is just begging to be riddled with stickers. Airlines, hotels, cheesy tourist sights, concert souvenirs. Rimowa luggage becomes the ultimate travel documentation. And a way of claiming your own sense of posterity.

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The Rimowa Museum Collection is on display at the Rimowa boutique in Greenbelt 5. E-mail comments to ana_kalaw@pldtdsl.net.