“Monsieur is going to leave home?”
“Yes,” replied Phileas Fogg.
“We are going round the world.”
Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days
The essentials: suitcases that made history
Between holidays and business trips, have you ever wondered what's hiding in your suitcase besides socks, t-shirts and jackets?
Courtesy © Archives Louis Vuitton Malletier
Courtesy Vestiaire Collective
Courtesy Samsonite Archive
Courtesy Samsonite
Courtesy Rimowa
Domus Archive n° 303, February 1955
Courtesy Bridge & Riley
Courtesy Word Press
Courtesy Calpak
Domus Archive n° 773, July 1995
Courtesy Trunki
Courtesy Eastpak
Courtesy Longchamps
Courtesy Stilnovo
Courtesy Ikea
Courtesy Global Blue
Courtesy The North Face
Courtesy Motorionline S.r.l.
Domus n° 1062, 11 May 2021. Courtesy Horizn Studio
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- Astrid Malingreau
- 27 December 2021
Up to the late century travellers were mostly aristocrats travelling with trunks over long periods of times, journeying from city to city with a crew of hands ready to carry their luggages.
Everything changed at the end of the 19th century, when tourism first took off, Europe’s large railway stations were inundated with porters, who would help passengers with their bags. In 1858, a young Louis Vuitton sensing this shift left his box-making apprenticeship on the rue de Saint Honoré to open a store of ‘specialty packing for fashion’. He invented a flat-trunk, designed to be stacked, and therefore the first modern luggage. He also established as an object of fashion by replacing the dull canvases with elegant ones – the now ubiquitous monogram came under his son, Georges and was copyrighted in 1905.
Across the ocean, in 1910, Jesse and his father Isaac Shwayder opened a family suitcase company the Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company with the motto ‘strong enough to stand on’. The original name of the luggage was Samson in reference to the strength of the biblical figure and soon these luggages came to be known as Samsonite. From there, the evolution of the suitcase skyrocketed with the rapid evolution of transport and travelling habits.
One of the most crucial inventions was probably the ‘rolling luggage’ in 1970. An American luggage executive, Bernard Sadow, unscrewed four castors from a wardrobe and fixed them to a suitcase. Then, in 1987, US pilot Robert Plath created the modern cabin bag. He turned Sadow’s suitcase on its side and made it smaller.
City trip, business trip, long trips, most of us might now have to wheel our suitcases but we can all do it in style.
Opening image: Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, limited edition, Spring Summer 2019. Courtesy Vestiaire Collective
Louis, Georges and Gaston-Louis Vuitton (lying down on a trunk-bed) pose with factory workers in front of a horse-drawn delivery van. Asnières, 1888.
From its beginnings Louis Vuitton created more than a simple practical luggage he invented a fashionable and luxurious item whose status has remained unrivalled. To reinvent itself the brand has sought the creativity of artist and collaboration with other brands. One of the most famous was with the acclaimed Virgil Abloh who designed this limited edition for the Spring Summer 2019 collection with; Holographic coated Keepall, iconic LV monogram print, iridescent clear and pink coated canvas, adjustable crossbody strapand Lucite chain link.
In 1916, the Shwayders took a picture that would become an advertising coup. Four brothers and their father stood on a plank positioned atop one of their suitcases with the caption: “Strong enough to stand on”. With five portly Shwayder men weighing more than 1,000 pounds together, the picture was striking and became their advertising and direct-mail gimmick for several years.
Today Samsonite is one of the most famous and largest luggage company. Their production has evolved and their latest collection, ECO is crafted with recycled post-consumer waste: using recycled yogurt cups for the shells and recycled PET bottles for the interior lining.
The Morszeck familly openned its first business in 1898 in Cologne producing cases in harwearing wood focusing on light weight. In 1937, Richard Morszeck (son of the original founder) creates the first aluminium trunk, abbreviating his name to call it the RIMOWA. In 1976, the company devellops waterproof cases to protect professionnal equipment making it one of the favourite of the filming crews. Rimowa has now become a fashion status and their design is still reminiscing of the ‘trunk’ days.
The end of the WWII signed the true boom for mass tourism. With the public transportation rapid transformations as well as the support of government willing to democratise leisure and holidays for all social classes . Publicity for the Vipla suitcases, advertised in Domus.
In 1972, Bernard Sadow patents the first ‘rolling luggage’ almost two years after having invented it. He had his eureka moment in 1970 as he was coming back from a family vacation and trying to carry two heavy suitcases in the airport. He noticed a worker effortlessly rolling a heavy machine on a wheeled skid. When he got back to work at Bridge& Riley, he took casters off a wardrobe trunk and mounted them on a big travel suitcase. It took about two years to insert this idea into the market Men in particular were very resistant to the idea of wheeled luggage, and certain department stores refused to carry the bags, saying that they were too effeminate for male customers. Eventually it was life changing for us all.
In 1987 the pilot Bob Plath invented the ‘rollaboard luggage’. A vertical rather than horizontal suitcase with wheels that could easily be loaded in airplanes – the cabbin luggage was born. Picture of the 1989 patent for Robert Plath’s innovative design.
In 1994 the telescopic handle is invented and patented by Dan Ku. It has become an essential feature of a modern luggage.
In 1995, Samsonite launched the ‘Magnum’, a suitcase sold as an assembly kit. Each part could be assembled very easily by the custumer and without any specific tools. By reducing the assembly freight and warehouse, the company had hoped to offer luggages at a decidely lower price with high quality.
In 2006, the British company launches and soon dominates the market of family friendly luggage with ride-on suitcases for children.
On the soft side of suitcases one cannot miss the Eastpak suitcases. The company strated in 1952 as Eastern Canvas Products, making durable gear for the US military. IT has then moved to more pacific clients and provides one of the wider offer of soft suitcases.
Perhaps some of us can still manage to find generous hands to carry our luggage. The soft bags for the weekend, also known as the weekenders, are still the elegant luggage that one must have. The French company Longchamps created ‘Le Pliage’ based on Japanese origami – a light, foldaway bag that has since become a cult object worldwide.
The suitcase is now an everyday object to which most of us don’t give much thought. Ettore Sottssas was not must of us and the ‘Valigia’ was a symbol of the eternal movement and made him design this witty lampada valigia. Lampada Valigia for Stilnovo by Ettore Sottsass, designed in 1977.
Our suitcases are now determined by our ways of travelling, Practical as always Ikea has created ‘Starttid suitcase’ cabin bag on wheels by Ikea.
Just like other luxury brands, Rimowa has kept a relevant image by collaborating with the artists and identities of the time. One of the most sought after example was their collaborating with Supremes in 2018, bringing to the expertise a breezy vibe from the streets of Los Angeles.
The North Face specialised in explorer’s and sportswear equipment and seeks to equip adventurers. Phileas Fogg would have probably taken a luggage had this adventurer option existed. Small base camp Duffel bag.
The ultimate futuristic luggage is one that you don’t carry, you don’t drag but that simply follows you. Piaggio has imagined the electrical luggage, an autonomous machine that will allow you to have up to 35kg follow you or a mapped itinerary.
Horizn Studio has imagined a sustainable piece of luggage, realized with 100% plant-based materials and designed to be repaired. A suitcase that addresses the challenges of our times.