Forty years ago, wheeled luggage — invented by Briggs & Riley — was the newest thing. A couple of years ago, checkpoint- friendly luggage was all the rage. It still is, but the emphasis now is on ultra-light, multifunction luggage on four-wheel systems with, in many cases, sleek hard sides, built for durability. Other biggies in the travel-goods realm right now: any product that keeps bedbugs at bay, and color, color and more color.
Thousands of travel-goods items debuted at the Travel Goods Show in Chicago in March; in fact, some 40,000 products from 2,000 lines were unveiled by 215 exhibitors representing over 300 brands.
“Function and versatility are the big trends, although they’re always part of the travel-goods picture,” says Michele Marini Pittenger, president of the Travel Goods Association. “Manufacturers continue to design and deliver products that make travel more convenient, comfortable, colorful, safe and secure.”
LUGGAGE-LITE: The scope of choice in lightweight luggage built for smooth maneuverability continues to expand, with hard- sides and four-wheel systems emerging as scene stealers: Antler’s Liquis 4-Wheel Roller Case ($399) sports a virgin polycarbonate A-Plus shell for a slick, tough-stuff persona at a svelte 8.4 pounds; the very smart Intus business case with integrated handle scale from the Sirus Collection (starting at $130) by Heys USA, shows off lightweight in a flexible and impact-absorbing hard-shell, not to mention intuitive technology to eliminate baggage fees; and Delsey’s Helium Breeze 3.0 Carry-On Trolley with EZ Glide 4-Wheel Spinner System ($149.99), a soft-side with fiberglass frame, is light on the scales but heavy on durability.
In soft-sides and stars in their own right: Ricardo Beverly Hills’ Expandable WheelAboard carry-on ($240) from its Superlight Sausalito Collection, its sleek 7.1-pound frame atop four-wheel Glide-LiteTM system reflecting the new norm of the 20-inch case; International Traveller, already known for having the “World’s Lightest Collection” lightens things up even more with the introduction of IT-0-1 2nd Generation 4-Wheel, now the “world’s lightest spinner” and with retails ranging from $123 to $160; and American Flyer’s McCool E2 (Extreme Exploration) bags, backpacks and messengers ($70-$450), channeling James Bond in its rugged ready-for-any-adventure-regardless-of-potential-peril aesthetic.
COLOR RULES; BLACK DROOLS: Like a gust of spring, color burst across luggage and small leather goods collections, mirroring a welcome optimism in the resurgence of travel. Heys USA talks the talk in personifying its “art of modern luggage” motto through its artist collections featuring the striking pop art of Romero Britto and urban-edged flamboyance of Charles Fazzino, veritable explosions of primaries and pastels and in patterns surging with graphics, florals and cityscapes. The four-piece sets, absolute showstoppers in hard-shell and atop four- wheel systems, retail for $1,200 (Britto Garden) and $1,060 (Fazzino).
Also flying their color verve: Italian manufacturer Roncato’s UNO Collection ($569-$625), its stunning graphic designs, including Rosso Murales, Nero Rosa and Viola Fiori, capturing the imagination in sleek polycarbonate trolleys and upright cases simply made for bold escapades; Lulu Castagnette by Murval Paris, lustrous in polycarbonate, its Flamenco set, with 22-inch spinner, carry-on and beauty case ($269), all sass in a pastel color palette, and Pink Lulu Bear ($289/ three-piece set) irresistible in hot pink, orange, red, silver and white; and Olympia, which unleashed the rainbow on its new collections, including Blossom ($399/set), a bouquet of aqua blue, lavender, orange and yellow in polycarbonate on dual spinner wheels.
Special kudos to designer Christina DePonte at 2 4/7 International for her arresting homage to Oleg Cassini in the Wedding Collections, Bouquet ($120-$280) and Tie the Knot ($200/set), each a classic expression of the Camelot look synonymous with first lady Jackie Kennedy for whom Cassini designed. Encompassing five pieces, Bouquet features woven fabric evocative of lace-accented bridal gowns and accented with patent black trim and silver hardware, an elegant “something new” for brides.
In small leather goods, LODIS rolled out collections of clutches, cross-body bags, wallets and wristlets, at once demurely feminine and boldly dramatic: Audrey ($42-$94) in royal and citron; Celestial ($52-$145) in abstract Italian leather and in patterns suggestive of Impressionistic schemes; and Posey ($38-$84), dazzling in guava, lime and sky florals. Belarno performed a color mash-up with its ladies’ wallets, clutches and cross-body bags ($55-$155), achieving spot-on panache in hot combos of red, brown, purple, green, blue and black.
“The color explosion began about three to four years ago in the U.S.,” says K.U. Chung, sales manager at Belarno. “It is hotter and hotter.”
WAGING WAR ON BEDBUGS: Several companies had a lock on the gross-out factor, but travelers can rejoice that there may be at least a preventative for bringing bedbugs home from travels. RMB Group’s Rest Easy ($6.99-$7.9 9/2-ounce two- pack) is an all-natural spray made from cinnamon, lemongrass, clove and mint essential oils that is both people-safe and earth-friendly and can be sprayed around the hotel room on arrival and on your luggage — bedbugs’ ticket out. Its reusable bedbug bags ($7.99/six) offer even more protection.
“By placing and locking your clothing in these bags before your trip — and not putting them in the hotel dresser — you avoid one of the simplest means of transferring the pest to your home,” says Brian Nachsin of the RMB Group. “Most importantly, all of your worn clothing should be packed into these travel bags as a way of quarantining it.
“The bags can be used anywhere you feel there might be a threat of bedbugs which, based on the news the last couple of years, is just about everywhere we work and play.”
Also rolling out preventative bedbug sprays: the patented Stop Bugging Me ($7.9 9/3-ounce travel size), enough naturally derived spray to treat two queen-size mattresses; and Bed Bug Patrol, which offers Bed Bug Travel & Luggage Spray ($11.85), chemical-free and non-toxic Bed Bug Traps ($19.95-pack) and Premium Bed Bug Luggage Protection Covers ($24) that are impermeable to the little buggers.
WHAT’S NEXT? With some innovations, the future is indeed now.
Getting attention are accessories that incorporate RFID technology to protect personal information stored in the RFID chip on passports and credit cards — name, billing ZIP, credit card number/expiration date and other personal data, such as: Pacsafe’s RFIDsafe 50 RFID Passport Protector ($14.99); the Shielded SPIbelt ($29.95) — the secure and expandable small personal item pouch; Royce Leather Gifts’ wallets and passport covers, offered in different styles and colors and ranging in price from $30 to $52; and the drool-inducing, industrial-grade stainless steel men’s wallets and women’s wallets, clutches and mini messengers from Stewart/Stand, from $59.50 to $700, but these sleek beauties are worth every piece of silver you lay down for one.
In luggage, saving space spurred design innovation. Max Mirani’s Crush ($395/$22 inches) impressed by doing just that to fit inside a dresser drawer. Its Move ($495) showed off stylish dexterity by doubling as a mobile closet; when you reach your destination, hang, unzip and — voila! — a “closet” with shoes, shirt, accessories neatly unfolds. Balanzza’s TRUCO ($199), the industry’s first modular carry-on, reshapes itself to fit allotted space via a click-on system. And Lipault earns high marks for pliability with its Foldable 0% cases ($180-$225) constructed of twill nylon that collapses down to fit inside a space-conserving pouch — in colors shouting “Wake up!”
