Overview

Rimowa is a German luxury luggage manufacturer founded in Cologne in 1898. The company began as Görtz & Morszeck, established by Heinrich Görtz and Paul Morszeck, and later became associated with the Morszeck family. Its name, registered by Richard Morszeck in 1931, is derived from “Richard Morszeck Warenzeichen,” with Warenzeichen meaning trademark in German. The brand’s identity was shaped by both industrial necessity and design development. A factory fire in the 1930s destroyed much of the company’s available material, leaving aluminum as a principal manufacturing resource. Rimowa subsequently developed cases with a distinctive pattern of parallel grooves, a design that became one of the most recognizable visual signatures in luggage. The company maintained a strong connection with Cologne, where its headquarters and production operations were based for many decades. Rimowa expanded beyond metal cases in 2000 by introducing polycarbonate luggage. This broadened its range while preserving the brand’s emphasis on structural durability, low weight, engineering, and distinctive surface treatment. Its pre-LVMH portfolio included lines such as Topas, Limbo, Salsa, Pilot, Silver Classic, Classic Flight, Columbus, and Attaché. Following a product and identity reorganization after 2016, the principal families included Original, Classic, Essential, Hybrid, Distinct, and specialized offerings such as Gewa violin cases. LVMH acquired an 80 percent stake in Rimowa in October 2016 for €640 million, making Rimowa the group’s first German company. Alexandre Arnault became chief executive and led a repositioning that shifted the brand from a primarily functional and product-placement-oriented luggage maker toward a more visible global luxury label. The business refreshed its visual identity and invested in retail, communications, digital activity, brand storytelling, and collaborations. In 2021, Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert succeeded Arnault as chief executive, alongside the introduction of Rimowa’s first dedicated backpack and travel-bag range. Rimowa’s product offer centers on hard-sided luggage, including aluminum and polycarbonate suitcases in cabin, check-in, trunk, and specialized formats. It also sells bags, backpacks, briefcases, personal cases, travel accessories, luggage organizers, covers, and selected lifestyle products. Its manufacturing footprint includes facilities in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Canada. The brand’s pricing and materials place it at the premium and luxury end of the travel-goods market. Partnerships have become a major part of Rimowa’s contemporary strategy. Long-running relationships with Lufthansa and Porsche helped establish the brand’s travel and automotive associations. Since the LVMH acquisition, Rimowa has also worked with fashion, streetwear, design, and art partners including Fendi, Moncler, Supreme, Off-White, Dior, Monocle, Daniel Arsham, Alex Israel, and Anti Social Social Club. These projects have used limited production, distinctive finishes, transparent or artistically altered cases, and co-branded editions to connect luggage with fashion and collectible design. Rimowa also operates as a cultural and status brand through campaigns featuring prominent figures from sport, music, fashion, art, and hospitality. Its “Never Still” platform presented travel as a continuing personal journey and featured figures including LeBron James, Rihanna, Patti Smith, Kim Jones, Yuja Wang, Roger Federer, Virgil Abloh, Adwoa Aboah, Yoon Ahn, Nobu Matsuhisa, Jay Chou, and Rosé. The company remains active as an LVMH-owned international luxury luggage brand, with its heritage in German engineering and its current positioning built around design, mobility, craftsmanship, and cultural relevance.

History

Rimowa traces its origins to 1898, when Heinrich Görtz and Paul Morszeck founded Görtz & Morszeck in Cologne. By 1900, Morszeck had become the company’s sole director. The business initially made travel cases and developed within Cologne’s manufacturing environment, later becoming closely identified with the Morszeck family. Richard Morszeck, Paul’s son, joined the company in 1931 and registered the Rimowa trademark at the Reich Patent Office in Berlin. The name was formed from the initials and words in “Richard Morszeck Warenzeichen,” meaning Richard Morszeck trademark. This registration established the name under which the company would eventually become internationally known. A factory fire during the 1930s destroyed most of the company’s materials. Aluminum remained available, and the company increasingly used it to construct cases. What began partly as a response to circumstance developed into a long-term material and design identity. Rimowa’s hard-sided aluminum cases became associated with parallel grooves pressed into the shell. The grooves provided a recognizable appearance and contributed to the company’s industrial, technical character. For much of the twentieth century, Rimowa remained a specialist luggage manufacturer with a strong German production identity. Its traditional range included aluminum and leather-related products as well as early polycarbonate offerings. Product families before the LVMH era included Topas, Limbo, Salsa, Pilot, Silver Classic, Classic Flight, Columbus, and Attaché. Rimowa also developed relationships with travel and mobility companies. A partnership with Lufthansa began in 1998 around the company’s centenary, while its relationship with Porsche dates from 1999 and produced special-edition cases. In 2000, Rimowa introduced polycarbonate into its case construction. The move enabled lighter cases and broadened the brand’s appeal without abandoning the company’s hard-shell design language. Polycarbonate became the basis for product families such as Salsa and later Essential, while aluminum continued to represent Rimowa’s most historically distinctive material. The company changed direction substantially after LVMH acquired an 80 percent stake in October 2016 for €640 million. Rimowa became the first German company in the LVMH portfolio. Alexandre Arnault became chief executive from 2017 and worked with brand and design specialists on a new visual identity and a more contemporary communications strategy. The business increasingly presented itself as a luxury and cultural brand rather than solely as a technical luggage producer. After the transaction, Rimowa expanded its use of collaborations and limited editions. It worked with fashion houses such as Fendi and Dior, streetwear labels including Supreme and Off-White, and creative figures such as Daniel Arsham and Alex Israel. These partnerships brought new graphics, finishes, materials, and formats to the company’s core cases. The strategy also helped place Rimowa in fashion, art, music, and collectible-design contexts. In 2021, Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert became chief executive. Around the same period, Rimowa launched its first dedicated range of backpacks and travel bags, broadening the business beyond rolling luggage and trunks. The company’s post-2018 product structure included Original, Classic, Essential, Hybrid, Distinct, and Hammerschlag-related offerings, alongside specialized Gewa violin cases and other accessories. Rimowa manufactures products in its own facilities in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Canada. Its current identity combines German industrial heritage, aluminum craftsmanship, polycarbonate engineering, repairability and longevity messaging, premium retail, and collaborations with influential cultural partners. The company remains an LVMH-owned luxury luggage brand sold internationally.

2021
Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert becomes chief executive
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Bonnet-Masimbert succeeds Alexandre Arnault as chief executive.
2021
Backpack and travel-bag category launches
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Rimowa expands into backpacks and travel bags, its first major extension beyond traditional case formats.
2018
New product architecture is established
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Rimowa reorganizes its principal product families around lines including Original, Classic, Essential, Distinct, Hybrid, and Hammerschlag.
2017
Alexandre Arnault leads the company
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Alexandre Arnault becomes chief executive and begins a renewed brand and communications strategy.
2016
LVMH acquires a controlling stake
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
LVMH acquires 80 percent of Rimowa for €640 million, making the company the group’s first German subsidiary.
2016
Junkers F.13 replica is released
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Rimowa releases a replica of the Junkers F.13 aircraft as an aviation-related collector product.
2000
Polycarbonate cases are introduced
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Rimowa expands its hard-shell technology from aluminum into polycarbonate construction.
1999
Porsche partnership begins
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Rimowa begins a long-running collaboration with Porsche involving special-edition luggage.
1998
Lufthansa partnership begins
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Rimowa establishes a partnership with Lufthansa around its centenary.
1931
Rimowa trademark is registered
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Richard Morszeck joins the company and registers the Rimowa name in Berlin.
1930
Aluminum becomes a defining material
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
After a factory fire destroys much of the company’s material stock, aluminum becomes central to its case production and later brand identity.
1900
Paul Morszeck becomes sole director
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Morszeck becomes the company’s sole director after the founding period.
1898
Görtz & Morszeck is founded in Cologne
[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Heinrich Görtz and Paul Morszeck establish the company that would later become Rimowa.

Products and positioning

German-engineered luxury travel goods combining recognizable grooved hard-shell design, durability, craftsmanship, limited editions, and fashion- and culture-led collaborations.

Aluminum luggage · 2018
Original
The Original family is Rimowa’s modern continuation of its iconic aluminum case concept. It uses the brand’s characteristic parallel-groove shell and is offered in cabin, check-in, and trunk formats. The line emphasizes durability, engineered hardware, a distinctive industrial appearance, and a direct connection to Rimowa’s historical Topas family.
Aluminum luggage · 2018
Classic
Classic is an aluminum luggage family with a more traditional visual treatment than the Original range. It is associated with the earlier Silver Classic concept and combines a grooved metal shell with leather details and refined travel hardware.
Polycarbonate luggage · 2018
Essential
Essential is Rimowa’s polycarbonate case family, designed to provide a lighter alternative to aluminum. The range uses the brand’s grooved shell language and practical interior organization, including versions based on zipper closure and divider systems.
Hybrid luggage · 2018
Hybrid
Hybrid cases combine a primarily polycarbonate body with aluminum accents and structural elements. The line is intended to balance lower weight with the visual and engineering cues associated with Rimowa’s aluminum cases.
Leather-trimmed luggage · 2018
Distinct
Distinct is a premium case family featuring leather-oriented detailing and a more fashion-led finish. It extends Rimowa’s hard-shell platform into a softer luxury treatment while retaining the company’s core travel-case construction.
Travel bags · 2021
Backpacks and travel bags
Introduced under the post-2021 strategy, Rimowa’s backpacks and travel bags broaden the brand’s offer for journeys that do not require a rolling case. The products use premium materials, travel-focused organization, and design details intended to connect them with the luggage collections.
Specialized instrument cases
Gewa
Gewa is a specialized Rimowa-related line for violin cases and other instrument-carrying applications. It reflects the company’s use of hard-shell engineering in categories beyond standard personal luggage.
Aviation product · 2016
Junkers F.13 replica
Rimowa produced replicas of the Junkers F.13 aircraft, linking the brand’s aviation associations with a highly exclusive collector-oriented object. Production was reported to continue from 2016 through 2019.

Marketing campaigns

2019Rimowa x Supreme second release
Global
The second Supreme collaboration used a spider-web design anodized into aluminum and was offered in Cabin Plus and Check-In L formats with co-branded accessories.
Outcome. Extended the Supreme partnership with a second limited release.
Source
2019Rimowa x Dior
Global
Rimowa and Dior created a capsule collection including Original Cabin and Original Trunk cases with Dior Oblique decoration, a revival of the Piccolo-inspired Hand Case, the Rimowa Personal, and a champagne case.
Outcome. Expanded Rimowa’s luxury-fashion positioning through a Dior Men runway-linked collaboration.
Source
2019Rimowa x Daniel Arsham
Global
Daniel Arsham created a numbered series of eroded cases inspired by a vintage Rimowa Attaché briefcase and his Future Relic artistic concept. A later 2022 project included limited pilot cases containing eroded turntables.
Outcome. Positioned selected Rimowa products as collectible art objects.
Source
2018Rimowa x Supreme
Global
Rimowa and Supreme created limited editions of the Original suitcase in red and black, marked with Supreme branding. The collaboration connected Rimowa’s aluminum case with the skate and streetwear market.
Outcome. Produced a limited-edition streetwear collaboration.
Source
2018Rimowa x Off-White
Global
The collaboration with Off-White and Virgil Abloh produced a transparent polycarbonate “See Through” case and an all-black Original case marked “Personal Belongings,” accompanied by customized travel accessories.
Outcome. Brought Rimowa into avant-garde fashion and collectible streetwear design.
Source
Never Still
Global
Rimowa’s global brand platform presents travel as an ongoing personal and creative journey. Campaign participants included LeBron James, Rihanna, Patti Smith, Kim Jones, Yuja Wang, Roger Federer, Virgil Abloh, Adwoa Aboah, Yoon Ahn, Nobu Matsuhisa, Jay Chou, and Rosé.
Outcome. Expanded Rimowa’s visibility as a luxury culture and lifestyle brand.
Source

Brand decisions

2021
Appoint Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert as chief executiveOther
Background
Rimowa changed leadership after Alexandre Arnault’s period as chief executive.
Action taken
Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert became chief executive.
Aftermath
The leadership transition coincided with expansion into backpacks and travel bags.
Source
2021
Expand into backpacks and travel bagsProduct launch
Background
Rimowa had historically been identified primarily with hard-sided rolling luggage.
Action taken
The company launched its first line of backpacks and travel bags.
Aftermath
The move broadened Rimowa’s travel-goods assortment beyond suitcases and trunks.
Source
2017
Shift from product placement toward cultural collaborationsStrategy
Background
After the LVMH acquisition, Rimowa pursued a more contemporary and internationally visible luxury identity.
Action taken
The company refreshed its visual identity and increased its use of long-term collaborations with fashion, art, design, and streetwear partners.
Aftermath
Partnerships with brands and creators such as Supreme, Off-White, Dior, Moncler, Fendi, and Daniel Arsham became important parts of Rimowa’s marketing and product strategy.
Source
2016
Join the LVMH GroupM&A
Background
LVMH sought to expand its luxury portfolio through a controlling investment in Rimowa.
Action taken
LVMH acquired an 80 percent stake in Rimowa for €640 million.
Aftermath
Rimowa became LVMH’s first German company and received greater emphasis on global luxury branding, retail, and cultural partnerships.
Transaction value. €640 million for an 80 percent stake (October 2016)
Source
2000
Adopt polycarbonate case constructionProduct launch
Background
Rimowa historically emphasized aluminum cases but sought to broaden its material and weight options.
Action taken
The company introduced polycarbonate in its luggage construction.
Aftermath
Polycarbonate became the basis for later families such as Essential and supported a wider range of lighter hard-shell cases.
Source

Recent events

2026
Rimowa announces Beatrice Monguidi as future chief executive[1]Rimowaen.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
Reference material identifies Beatrice Monguidi as due to become chief executive in June 2026.
2026
Rimowa announces Beatrice Monguidi as incoming CEO[3]Rimowa announces Beatrice Monguidi as incoming CEOww.fashionnetwork.com
Leadership change
Beatrice Monguidi was announced as successor to Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert, with her appointment scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2026.
2026
Beatrice Monguidi appointed CEO[3]Rimowa announces Beatrice Monguidi as incoming CEOww.fashionnetwork.com
Leadership change
Monguidi was announced as successor to Bonnet-Masimbert, with the appointment scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2026.
2026
Beatrice Monguidi appointed CEO effective June 1, 2026[3]Rimowa announces Beatrice Monguidi as incoming CEOww.fashionnetwork.com
Leadership change
Reports said Monguidi, formerly Louis Vuitton’s EMEA president, would succeed Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert as Rimowa CEO.
2025
Rimowa launches ‘Engineered for Life’[4]Rimowa launches ‘Engineered for Life’adsoftheworld.com
Campaign · Product generation
The campaign connected the Original collection with Cologne manufacturing, craftspeople, repair technicians, lifetime use, and the visible marks accumulated through travel.
2025
RIMOWA launches premium Connected TV campaign in the UAE[5]RIMOWA launches premium Connected TV campaign in the UAEmmaglobal.com
Campaign
RIMOWA worked with Spark Foundry and ThePubverse by ArabyAds on its first reported premium Connected TV campaign in the United Arab Emirates, using LG’s Home Screen environment and creative featuring Lewis Hamilton, Jay Chou and Rose.
2025
RIMOWA launches the 'Engineered for Life' brand campaign[6]RIMOWA launches the 'Engineered for Life' brand campaignthebrandgym.com
Campaign · Other
The campaign begins in RIMOWA’s Cologne factory and follows cases through the journeys of their owners. Scratches, dents and stickers are presented as evidence of lived experience, combining product engineering with an emotional story about long-term travel.
2025
RIMOWA collaborates with GEWA on a trumpet case[7]RIMOWA collaborates with GEWA on a trumpet casechannelnewsasia.com
Product launch
RIMOWA and musical-instrument manufacturer GEWA introduced a silver trumpet case combining RIMOWA’s aluminium design language with a specialist musical-instrument application.
2025
RIMOWA promoted the Engineered for Life campaign[6]RIMOWA launches the 'Engineered for Life' brand campaignthebrandgym.com
Campaign
The campaign connected factory craftsmanship with the personal marks accumulated by luggage during travel, presenting durability and emotional attachment as complementary parts of the brand proposition.
2025
Rimowa Design Prize highlights German student design[8]Rimowa Design Prize highlights German student designvogue.com
Campaign · Other
Rimowa hosted its third annual design prize in Berlin, positioning the program as support for emerging German design talent and as an expression of the brand’s design heritage.

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