The Rimowa Seit 1898 Exhibition Kicks Off In Tokyo
Paging for fans of the luxury luggage maker Rimowa. The great Rimowa world tour – a.k.a. its 125th anniversary retrospective – has just begun with its first stop in Tokyo.
A major retrospective by Rimowa has landed in Tokyo. Titled Seit 1898 – which translates to "since 1898" – the show is the German luxury luggage maker's marquee event for the year to fete its 125th anniversary. Taking place at the Jing Harajuku exhibition space from June 9-18, this is the first and only Asian stop in a three-city tour around the world. After Tokyo, the show will move to New York City in Sep 8-17 to coincide with New York Fashion Week before rolling into the brand's birth city, Cologne, in the Spring of 2024.
The facade of Rimowa Seit 1898 show in Tokyo is decked out in stickers, not unlike the brand's luggage.
The objective of the outing: to showcase how the company has shaped luxury travel for over a hundred years through its craftsmanship, product innovation and cultural influence. More importantly, the brand hopes visitors will reflect on what it means to travel in a post-pandemic world. To execute this, Rimowa has pulled together over 100 pieces of luggage from its massive archives as well as loans from its friends and collaborators such as the musician-slash-designer Pharrell Williams, artist Takashi Murakami and model Adwoa Aboah.
For those visiting Tokyo, a pit stop to Seit 1898 is highly recommended. For those unable to experience the exhibition in person, scroll on for some highlights from the event.
The main lobby of the exhibition has been decked out to look like a departure hall at the airport – and makes for the perfect photo op.
Fun fact: It takes over 117 minutes and over 220 separate components to assemble each one of Rimowa's iconic aluminium suitcases. This larger-than-life installation of an exploded Rimowa Cabin luggage serves to drive home that point with dramatic effect.
This diorama recreates a 2012 campaign that was meant to put focus on what Rimowa describes as its near-indestructible cases. The setup evokes the Australian outback with a Salsa Crocodile Case in polycarbonate suspended above the water, seemingly surviving a croc attack that has left it with visible bite dents.
Rimowa started to inject colours into its designs during the '80s as it experimented with newer materials such as ABS and polycarbonate. Seen here is a diorama consisting of its Essential polycarbonate suitcases and Personal crossbody bags in every colour permutation available.
This pyramid of Rimowa suitcases is a unique feature of the Tokyo exhibition. It comprises personal luggage – dents, scuffs, and scratches included – belonging to the brand's famous friends as well as some custom-made pieces. These include a red Salsa Air Check-In belonging to model Adwoa Aboah that is described by its owner as "incredibly bashed in". There is also the Pilot Multiwheel that Peggy Gou used as a DJ bag when she just started touring. Meanwhile, pop culture fiends will be thrilled to spot the briefcase used in Mission Impossible and the Classic Trunk from a faux collaboration with the fictitious designer Pierre Cadeault for Season 2 of Emily in Paris.