Practically synonymous with grooved aluminum and polycarbonate, Rimowa has seen leather, first introduced via its Distinct luggage line in 2023, become a fast-growing category.
The material also represents an “additional creative playground for our brand,” according to chief executive officer Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert, revealing Rimowa’s launch of leather bags exclusively to WWD.
Debuting Monday in Rimowa stores worldwide and on its online store, the new Groove Collection sees the German suitcase specialist chart further inroads into products for everyday, urban mobility.
The made-in-Italy Groove bags come as a shopping tote, a hobo bag and a top-handle crossbody style in two sizes.
The Groove sliding hobo bag is part of Rimowa’s new leather range.
Courtesy of Rimowa
Each of the four designs “responds to different function and need, in order to meet people at varying points in their daily journeys,” Bonnet-Masimbert said, also trumpeting Rimowa’s dual commitments to “functionality and respect for our design philosophy.”
Horizontal and vertical grooves are the defining feature of the bags and “achieving the precise shapes and texture for the leather required significant refinement” — and long development times.
“The main challenge was staying true to the brand ethos while translating strength, function and rigidity into sensuality, beauty and suppleness — without compromising utility,” the executive stressed.
Several of the styles are designed so they can be secured to a Rimowa suitcase, while the “sliding hobo bag” boasts an adaptable strap, a thoughtful interior layout, and a detachable pouch.
All come in black, while certain crossbody styles come in silver, pink, burgundy and green. Each leather bag comes with a two-year guarantee.
The shopping bag style secures with Rimowa suitcases.
Courtesy of Rimowa
The Groove collection arrives one year after Rimowa introduced The Original Bag, its first serious entry into the saturated handbag category, made of grooved aluminum like its popular luggage — and equally unisex in spirit and “timeless” in look.
Asked about consumer reaction to The Original Bag, Bonnet-Masimbert said “we’ve received so much positive response from our clients that we have just introduced a new size… this month.”
The Rimowa Original Bag 16 is a smaller version of the Original Bag 19, the former preferred by women and the latter favored by men.
Bonnet-Masimbert allowed that the handbag market is competitive, “but we see that as an opportunity to reinforce what sets Rimowa apart.”
“Over recent years, we have been reimagining what mobility might look and feel like,” he said. “Travel is as much about the small moments in life as it is the big trips.”
The executive further characterized its move into leather bags as “a natural evolution” and a “response to our clients’ evolving needs.
“The design is a fresh take on our signature grooves, resulting in a pattern that feels creative yet familiar,” he said.
The Groove Collection will be supported by a “full-channel marketing and communication campaign, including media, events, talents, etc.,” Bonnet-Masimbert noted.
Retail prices start at 950 euros for a small crossbody style and run up to 1,700 euros for the shopping bag.
Models with Rimowa bags from the new leather Groove Collection.
Courtesy of Rimowa