|
| Courtesy of Rimowa North America Inc. |
For years I carried baggage that just didn’t work. Granted, it always looked good and had my monogram imprinted here and there. But invariably my luggage wouldn’t have wheels, or it was overburdened with heavy leather straps that weighed me down.
Before my recent trip to India, I had an epiphany of sorts as I sipped a cool glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the lounge at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport. It was like a small angel descended from jet-set heaven and whispered in my ear in a sort of breathy, booze-addled voice: “Take the plunge!”
If anyone should have killer luggage that actually works it should be your resident Jet Setter, right? So I set out and started browsing catalogs, polling other high-flying friends and scoping the suitcase scene at the baggage carousel. Speaking of “baggage carousel,” don’t you just love that term? It’s like you’re at some exotic circus instead of standing and waiting for your undies and such to drop down a chute and circle on over to you.
And, hurrah! My prayers have been answered. I entered suitcase seventh heaven thanks to the fabulous folks at the German concern Rimowa. The name may sound Japanese, but it’s not. My new luggage of choice is Rimowa’s wonderful Salsa Air hard-sided rolling bags that are crafted of super lightweight polycarbonate. Literally, it weighs a minimal 8.2 pounds, so I can load up my Salsa Air Multiwheel 77 32” with gobs of shoes, vats of Kiehl’s Creme with Silk Groom, a hairdryer, steamer and all of those chargers that manufacturers have yet to make universal. I also love the fabulous ergonomic handle, the super-tough polycarbonate skin, the countersunk combination lock, the smooth wheels and the integrated mono telescope system. Divine!
While Rimowa’s suitcases are certainly not cheap—my Salsa Air cost about $575 on luggage.com—I am smitten and will certainly amortize the cost by not having to visit the spa for a deep-tissue massage after every far-flung jaunt. Maybe I’ll start getting facials instead.