RIMOWA and Maison Margiela create a collection designed to age with use
RIMOWA and Maison Margiela have collaborated on a limited-edition luggage collection featuring the Classic Cabin suitcase and the 5AC XL bag. Bringing together RIMOWA’s aluminium engineering and Maison Margiela’s approach to fashion and craftsmanship, the two pieces share a distinctive white finish intended to change with use. The collaboration examines how everyday objects acquire character through wear, allowing the traces of travel and handling to become part of their design.
The collection draws on Maison Margiela’s Bianchetto technique, a method of hand-applied white overpainting introduced by Martin Margiela in 1988. Initially used to paint second-hand furniture in the fashion house’s studio, the technique has since become a recognizable element of its visual identity. Both the suitcase and bag feature visible brushstrokes across their surfaces. Over time, the paint gradually cracks and fades, exposing the materials underneath and creating an individual patina that records each object’s use.
RIMOWA’s signature aluminium grooves establish a connection between the two designs, extending the suitcase’s familiar ribbed appearance to Maison Margiela’s 5AC XL bag. The application gives the accessories a shared visual language while preserving their different constructions and functions. The Classic Cabin retains its recognizable hard-shell form, while the bag introduces a softer interpretation of the same design vocabulary, connecting industrial luggage manufacturing with the techniques of leather goods production.
The 5AC XL bag incorporates Maison Margiela’s characteristic inside-out construction, with an internal lining that extends beyond its leather exterior. The lining can remain tucked inside or be pulled outward, changing the bag’s proportions and allowing it to function as a weekender. A related approach appears inside the Classic Cabin suitcase, where canvas and white leather are used alongside exposed stitching and overlocked edges. These details reference garment construction and give the interior the appearance of an atelier-made piece.
Each item is finished by hand, meaning that variations in the painted surfaces are an intentional part of the collection. A co-branded aluminium badge features Maison Margiela’s four diagonal white stitches, applied using real thread. A matching key bell and luggage tag are attached around the handle, extending the relationship between the two accessories. These details connect the fashion house’s established design codes with RIMOWA’s functional travel accessories without relying on prominent exterior logos.
The RIMOWA x Maison Margiela collection will be available from November 19, 2026, through both brands’ official websites. The collaboration will also be presented in seven selected RIMOWA boutiques in Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, New York and Los Angeles, alongside selected Maison Margiela locations. Through its hand-painted surfaces and construction details, the project approaches luggage as an object that continues to develop after purchase, with each journey contributing to its appearance.
All images courtesy of Rimowa
