Aluminum Suitcases Are the Latest Symbol of Quiet Luxury
Wear and tear = proof of travel.
In the early 2000s, one could not flip through a Star magazine without seeing paparazzi photos of Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian toting stacks of Louis Vuitton luggage at the airport. It was the era of Von Dutch trucker hats and Juicy Couture tracksuits, when loud prints sang the sounds of wealth. For better or worse, airport fashion these days is a lot more about blending in, gliding through those moving walkways like a chic robot and embracing utility over rhinestones. And there’s no travel accessory more emblematic of this idea than the aluminum suitcase—a symbol of “quiet luxury,” if you will.
These sleek trunks of metal—accented by nothing other than a few grooves, locks, and latches—are praised for their durability. Believed to withstand the roughest of handlings at the airport, the aluminum suitcase appears to be the luggage of choice for frequent travelers. According to market research company Technavio, the aluminum suitcase market size is forecast to increase by $310.1 million between 2023 and 2028. “The increasing preference for lightweight and durable luggage, coupled with the growing trend of frequent flyer programs, is driving market demand,” Technavio reports.
Celebrities like Zendaya, Chris Pine, and Martha Stewart have all been seen sporting the futuristic look, and it’s clear the aluminum suitcase of choice is the Rimowa Cabin, which currently retails for $1,430 and has (stealthily) garnered a reputation for being a status symbol of sorts. The thing about the silver portmanteau, you see, is that it gets banged up; dents form much more easily than your average, plastic hard shell. And the more imperfections, the more indication that you are, in fact, well-traveled.
Love it or hate it, the trend is catching on to TikTok, too. One user posts a video of a luggage belt, writing, “I love watching Rimowa suitcases get obliterated just like everyone else’s peasant suitcases.” One of the top comments reads, “Rimowa owners love the dings. It’s only commoners that care about their suitcase condition.” There you have it: To be wary of the scuff is to reveal your financial insecurity. Comedian Brian Park posted a parody of a “Guy with an aluminum Rimowa suitcase”: He’s jet-lagged; he knows Mexico City by way of Condesa and Roma; he often thinks, how did I get so blessed with this life.
The design of the suitcase is at once retro, recalling a time when travelers lugged around actual briefcases, and modern, with its shiny, metallic exterior. A German company that’s been around for over 100 years, Rimowa first launched the aluminum suitcase in 1950, paying homage to the world’s first, all-metal aircraft.
While the aluminum suitcase is celebrated for its practicality, it’s not uncommon to spot one covered in kitschy stickers, a practice that further heightens the playful, idgaf attitude (and suggests we might not be that far from our Louis Vuitton forebears). Rimowa knows this; they sell their own luggage stickers for $10, designed to add a personal touch to the pricey cases.
Plenty of brands have followed suit in the last few years, like Away, which unveiled their first aluminum collection in 2018. “We like to think of the marks as souvenirs from your travels—they show the world where you’ve been,” the company said in a tweet. While the standard, hard-shell Carry-On starts at $275, the Aluminum Edition will run you $625. Newcomer MVST Select has been creating some chatter on TikTok, after creating an aluminum suitcase for just under $400. Reality TV star Bethenny Frankel might even prefer it over her Rimowa.
So, if you’re interested in joining the jet-set elite—the chosen few who have pages of passport stamps and can’t be bothered to look at mini bar prices—consider asking Santa for a Rimowa this year. And if the suitcase gets a bit scratched up in the delivery process, all the better.