topas

Since 1898 Rimowa has been known as makers of the quintessential hard shell luggage. They were the originators of the grooved luggage. Rimowa has always been made for strength and durability. There were never too many bells or whistles that came with it. It was by far the strongest hard shell luggage on the market and the company could have cared less about how “pretty” the cases looked. Only recently did the company gain international notoriety as the official fashion luggage to the stars. All of a sudden that harsh, industrial aluminum case with dings and scratches that it collected through constant abuse by baggage handlers and negligent bellhops is a fashion statement.

Over the last few years, however, Rimowa has come out with luggage that is slightly easier on the eyes, yet retaining their core brand aesthetic. The introduction of their lightweight Salsa collection offered travelers both light weight convenience in polycarbonate, and a vast choice of colors. Considering the weight restrictions in today’s air travel and the ever expanding size of airports, ultra light weight luggage is a great idea. But Rimowa is always going to be known for their bread and butter – aluminum cases.

The Topas collection is the epitome of what performance luggage should be. This is the stuff you take with you on a whirlwind world tour, a trek through the Australian outback, or an African safari. A Topas case will hold up to almost anything and will chronicle your journey in every beautiful nick and scratch that it accumulates through the journey. For the longest time the Topas collection was only offered in the traditional silver aluminum. Recently, a special matte black finish has been made available and they aptly call it the Topas Stealth collection.

With the paint job very much resembling that of a B2 Stealth Bomber and/or an exotic sports car you might see on the road today fitted with the matte black coating, the Topas Stealth cases look like they mean business (in case they didn’t already). Made of the same, practically bomb-proof, aluminum as the original Topas collection, the matte black gives the Stealth pieces a certain contrasting edge. If the silver Topas cases are for the high profile international jet-setter, then the black Stealth cases are for the low profile international jet-setting spy. The Stealth collection is both incognito, but highly recognizable at the same time. Of course, hiding within that matte black paint, it will take a closer look for someone to recognize it’s a Rimowa, but once you see those famous grooves, there is no denying what it is. Every case comes with not one, but two TSA combination locks, an add-a-bag holder, two shoe bags, one laundry bag, and of course a luggage tag. The Topas Stealth collection can be found exclusively at CHARALS in Vancouver, or on their online store.