RIMOWA

If you value toughness and accept patina, yes; if you want pristine luggage forever, probably not. The grooved aluminium cases are built to take a beating and tend to dent rather than crack, but those marks are part of the deal. RIMOWA even leans into the idea of wear as character, so the dents read as travel scars rather than damage.

You are paying for material, heritage and engineering rather than extras. RIMOWA is a luxury maker famous for parallel aluminium grooves and produces entirely in its own factories in Germany, the Czech Republic and Canada, with aluminium cases historically running into the thousands. Away is a value-focused middle ground; RIMOWA's premium is mostly about brand legacy and aluminium construction.

They do dent, and mostly it is cosmetic. Aluminium bends and scuffs at the surface, but the case usually stays fully functional, which is the trade-off versus a polycarbonate shell that can crack outright. RIMOWA frames this as patina, so many owners come to see the marks as part of the case's story.

The grooves. RIMOWA suitcases are widely known for their parallel aluminium grooves, which have become the brand's signature. The look traces back to a 1930s factory fire that left mostly aluminium behind, prompting the company to build cases in metal, which became its hallmark.

It is a German house with a Cologne address going back over a century. The company was founded in 1898 in Cologne by Paul Morszeck and Heinrich Görtz as Görtz & Morszeck. The name Rimowa is an acronym for Richard Morszeck Warenzeichen, German for Richard Morszeck Trademark, registered by the founder's son in 1931.

It expanded the range rather than abandoning metal. After decades of aluminium cases, RIMOWA introduced polycarbonate in box construction in 2000, giving travelers a lighter shell alongside the classic metal. Today the line spans aluminium, leather and polycarbonate across collections like Original, Classic, Essential and Hybrid.

It belongs to the LVMH group. In October 2016 LVMH purchased an 80% stake in RIMOWA, making it the group's first German company, with Alexandre Arnault becoming CEO. Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert took over as CEO in 2021, and the LVMH era brought a new visual identity to the brand.

Since 2017 RIMOWA has favored long-term partnerships over plain product placement. It has worked with Fendi, Moncler, Supreme, Off-White and the artist Daniel Arsham, among others; the Supreme drops put the logo and a spider-web design onto the Original case, while Off-White's See Through reimagined the Essential as a fully transparent case. There were also Dior pieces in 2019.

It comes down to look versus weight. The aluminium Original is the icon, with the signature grooves and a build that ages into patina, while the polycarbonate Essential is lighter and more forgiving of scuffs. Choose Original if the metal aesthetic is the point; choose Essential if you prize a lighter carry and a lower entry price.

For its Never Still campaign, LVMH enlisted real RIMOWA owners. Featured ambassadors have included LeBron James, Rihanna, Patti Smith, Roger Federer, Yuja Wang, Virgil Abloh and ROSÉ of Blackpink, among others. The roster spans sport, music and design rather than a single celebrity niche.

Mostly, let it age and keep the moving parts happy. Aluminium dents and scratches are expected and largely cosmetic, so focus on the wheels, telescopic handle and latches, wiping the shell clean and keeping grit out of the mechanisms. RIMOWA offers a guarantee on the functional aspects of its cases, so use its service network for repairs to wheels or handles rather than improvising.