KUALA LUMPUR, Malayasia — The Scandinavian aesthetic — simple, functional and minimalist — is adaptable anywhere in the world. In the context of hot and vibrant Kuala Lumpur, it’s not so out of place. Tumi recently brought its latest campaign, the Scandinavia Lodge, to KL, and along with it, the brand’s fall/winter collection, which is almost a marriage of the region’s design sensibilities and its magical colors and textures. The resulting collection, designed by Tumi creative director Victor Sanz, is a sexy representation of Scandinavian tundras, mountains, icy plains and dancing evening sky.
Tumi's latest collection of luggages, men's and women's bags are unveiled at the Tumi Lodge.
After wolfing down a hot bowl of curry laksa with chicken, oysters and tofu at one of Kuala Lumpur’s authentic and non-airconditioned hawker locations, the idea of retreating to a mall and sipping champagne while viewing a luggage collection inspired by a freezing region gave me the good kind of chills. At The Pavilion in KL’s shopping district, Bukit Bintang, Tumi had its Scandinavian Lodge upright and ready for the party — a group of global citizens from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines who are experienced and discerning travelers. From the Philippines, we had top international DJs Ace Ramos and Mars Miranda, TV host, actress and model Angel Jacob, musician and vocalist of UDD Armi Millare, host, model and fitness buff Rovilson Fernandez, and fashion creative Vince Uy.
Adam Hershman, Tumi general manager for Greater China and APAC
Tumi 19 Degree International Carry-on in Fall Foliage
Rooted in elements of nature and the tradition of craft, the Tumi fall/winter 2018 Travel collection takes inspiration from the Scandinavian region, its colors, textures and tones. Camouflage luggage designs are reminiscent of the region’s colorful landscape as it changes with the seasons. Classic florals and textures on bags and luggage can go from Fashion Week to a week in the mountains. Bold metallic hues on classic Tumi grooves echo the movements of the Northern Lights. Sanz says in Tumi’s Fall 2018 Market Book: “Throughout the design process, we asked ourselves, how can we take something industrial and give it a human touch? Or conversely, how can we take something nature-inspired and put a tech spin on it? You’ll see a new take on camouflage, classic florals modernized with shifting contrasts and reflective pops. You’ll see new materials and reimagined techniques for existing ones.”
V3 International Carry-on in Galvanized Silver
Adam Hershman, general manager for Tumi Greater China and APAC says, “Every season, our creative director and his design team in New York City are inspired by different places in the world. Last season was California, and this season is Scandinavia. The Scandinavian Lodge is a physical representation of that inspiration — in the house, the furniture and the colors, and also in the products. You’ll see it in the prints and tonal colors. It’s meant to be inspirational to consumers when they come to the Lodge. Bringing the story to life is what this is all about.
Alpha Bravo Rondo Rolltop Backpack in Charcoal Restoration
“We were able to blend minimalism and utilitarian elements in Scandinavian design in this collection and Tumi is a really good fit for that combination, because the exterior is simple, but when you see all the pockets and the design, you’ll see the utilitarian elements. We combine high-design, high-function and high-performance.”
Voyager Novelty Troy Crossbody in Green Camo
From the latest launch, Hershman cites two particular collections: “Our Tahoe collection has a more youthful and fashion inspiration. But it doesn’t lose the qualities from the performance standpoint that Tumi is known for. The products have a clean exterior. Every bag in the collection has a zipper compartment in the bottom, it has a rain cover, and a reflective strip.” The Tahoe style is part of the Core collection, now with new styles and in new color ways. He adds, “The Latitude collection is the lightest luggage collection that Tumi has ever made. The carry-on is 2.8 kg. It’s scratch-resistant, and the material is a prioprietary material to Tumi called SRPP Ballistic, which is a polypropylene-based material that makes it incredibly light and incredibly strong, which is a tricky combination.” The latest collection includes travel, business, men’s and women’s products, available at Tumi stores nationwide.
Angelo de Cartagena, Ian Sanchez and Frances de Guzman of Tumi, Liza Ilarde, Tumi Global Citizen Mars Miranda, Tumi regional sales manager Alexis Quetant, Tumi Global Citizens Vince Uy, Angel Jacob and Armi Millare, and the author, Chonx Tibajia
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In the Philippines, Tumi is distributed by Primer Group of Companies, with stores at Greenbelt 5, Shangri-La, Solaire Resort & Casino, Ayala Center Cebu. Tumi is also available at select Travel Club stores. For information, follow @tumitravel or browse #tumiph and #perfectingthejourney.
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