RIMOWA has the spirit of summer stowed away inside its luggage

Every year, as winter rolls into spring, a coastal town in the south of France transforms itself into a bounty of lemon groves. Only it’s not trees that line the streets of Menton, but enormous pyramids, dragons, and giant Minions stacked together from thousands and thousands of lemons. Meanwhile, about an hour north of the Fête du Citron carnival, the region’s lavender fields begin, emerging first in Valensole before spilling into Sault, and then Drôme. 

All this is to say, le citron and la lavande have become emblematic of long, sprawling summers spent in Le Midi – the essence of which RIMOWA has syphoned into two colourways for its new capsule collection. Comprising luggage, tote bags, and iPhone cases, the label’s Essential range and Never Still offering have been reimagined in sherbet yellows and sun-bleached violets, proposing a softer alternative to its metal trunks. With its corrugated grooves lining the kind of airport lounges that smell of new carpets and coffee, the limited-edition offering is the subject of a glossy, technicolour campaign shot by Alessio Bolzoni and styled by Pau Avia. 

As modelled on Sangwoo Kim and Cannelle, RIMOWA has also put forward a new model as part of its summer capsule: a leather-strapped lavender crossbody redolent of 2020’s Dior collab, which is only available to shoppers in Asia. Meanwhile, the label’s grooved iPhone cases also took on a touch of the French Provence in a Lavande iteration. Getting its big release on May 26, the pieces range from €40 to €980 and embody all the technical prowess that the LVMH-owned brand is best known for. Stage-free telescopic handles, multiwheel systems, and spacious interiors mean there’s no clunking manoeuvres or noisy rattling down cobbled streets – something scientifically proven to be one of the most inexplicably embarrassing experiences a human being can endure. 

To check out the rest of the collection, click through the gallery above, and head here to get your hands on a piece.