Despite having arguably the most iconic design language of any suitcases on the planet, Rimowa hasn’t always used its classic grooved aluminum aesthetic. While the signature look was cemented in 1950, the brand played around with hammered aluminum in 1966 and, more recently, put a spin on its grooves with full-grain leather pieces. Reaching back into the archives once again, the German luggage icon has now brought back the grid texture of a 1969 briefcase pattern for three of its flagship items.
A Pattern With Roots
Most people don’t know that Rimowa’s obsession with geometric aluminum surfaces predates the LVMH era by decades. Back in 1969, the Cologne-based house produced a series of Hand-Carry cases embossed with a rigid, uniform grid rather than the vertical grooves that now define the brand. These were technical objects of their time; compact, professional-grade, and shaped by the same modular, precision-oriented thinking that ran through industrial design in that era. They never entered mainstream production, until now.
The Grid, Updated
The 2026 Classic Aluminum Grid collection translates that archival surface into three silhouettes: the Classic Hand-Carry Case, Classic Cabin, and, for the first time in a limited run, a Classic Trunk. The embossed grid is pressed directly into the rigid aluminum shells, giving each piece a structural quality that likely adds dent resistance alongside its visual appeal, compared to the standard versions of the suitcases.
Inside, the grid motif continues through a quilted polyester lining that mirrors the exterior pattern. Heritage blue leather touchpoints appear across the handles, luggage tags (stamped with the 1898 founding year, naturally), and the Flex Divider system. Palladium-finished locks, and airplane-debossed rivets round out the hardware.
The Classic Cabin and Classic Trunk get Rimowa’s Multiwheel system with cushioned axles and a telescopic handle, which is stageless with a leather underside grip to go with the luxe look. The whole thing is assembled in Cologne, as the best of Rimowa’s Classic line always has been.
Spec Sheet
Collection: Classic Aluminum Grid
Silhouettes: Classic Hand-Carry Case, Classic Cabin, Classic Trunk
Shell: Embossed aluminum
Interior: Quilted polyester lining with grid motif
Accents: Heritage blue Italian full-grain cowhide leather
Hardware: High-gloss palladium locks, airplane-debossed rivets
Handle: Stageless telescopic with leather grip insert (Cabin and Trunk only)
Wheels: Rimowa Multiwheel with cushioned axles (Cabin and Trunk only)
Edition Size: 1,969 numbered pieces (0001/1969 to 1969/1969)
Weight: 6.3lbs (Hand-Carry), 10.1 (Cabin), 13.2lbs (Trunk)
Capacity: 4.8 gallons (Hand-Carry), 9.5 gallons (Cabin), 26.4 gallons (Trunk)
Warranty: Lifetime guarantee
Pricing & Availability
The Classic Aluminum Grid collection drops March 26 at Rimowa boutiques worldwide and on the brand’s website. Pricing runs $2,725 for the Cabin and $3,225 at the top end, with a total production of 1,969 individually numbered pieces across all three sizes.
Recap
Rimowa Classic Aluminum Grid Collection
Rimowa dug up a nearly forgotten grid-patterned aluminum design from its 1969 archives and turned it into a limited run of 1,969 numbered suitcases — available in three sizes — that swaps the brand’s iconic grooves for an embossed geometric shell, blue leather accents, and quilted interior to match.
