Objects shaped by time and use

In a true co-creation between two Maisons, RIMOWA's functional design heritage meets Maison Margiela's unconventional artisanal philosophy in a one-of-a kind limited-edition matching RIMOWA x Maison Margiela 5AC XL bag and Classic Cabin suitcase. Discover two unique pieces that create a visual dialogue where RIMOWA's thoughtfully engineered aluminium grooves flow from the Cabin onto the 5AC XL. Both pieces are unified in Maison Margiela’s signature Bianchetto technique. Applied by hand with visible brushstrokes, it serves as a blank canvas that precedes creation. As the white surface gradually wears, it reveals a unique patina, ensuring the suitcase and bag develop a distinct character through their journeys.

RIMOWA and Maison Margiela equally share a reverence for objects made meaningful through time and use. With every journey, small imperfections on RIMOWA's aluminium luggage reveal a story in motion, while Maison Margiela design philosophy is rooted in creating pieces that mark a lived experience in them. The signs of time on both garments and suitcase alike become celebrated symbols of a life lived with them.

Both the RIMOWA x Maison Margiela Classic Cabin and the RIMOWA x Maison Margiela 5AC XL Bag are hand-painted using Maison Margiela's overpainting technique Bianchetto. Irreverent to the Maison, it was first pioneered by Martin Margiela in 1988 when the designer painted all the studio's second-hand furniture entirely in white to render the space visually uniform. Becoming part of the signature codes from the house, this unique design element is found on many of their iconic pieces. As the paint gradually cracks and fades naturally with use, a unique patina is formed that is in a state of constant transformation, elevating the ageing of a piece as a symbol of beauty and meaning. As both the suitcase and bag respond to individual use, they will develop a distinct character through their journeys, bearing with them a lifelong record of experience and memory.

Following a deep study of the garment and object, both pieces reinterpret signature codes. RIMOWA’s iconic grooves unite the collaboration, creating a continuous structural surface across both the Classic Cabin and the 5AC XL bag. Together, the two pieces explore a dialogue of construction and deconstruction: Maison Margiela’s signature study of revealing what lies beneath the surface.

Named after early internet parlance for sac (the French word for bag), the 5AC XL bag subverts traditional conventions with an internal lining that extends outward beyond its leather body, either tucked neatly inside or pulled out to transform the silhouette into a weekender.

This inside-out architecture is mirrored within the Classic Cabin. Reimagined in canvas and, for the first time, white leather, the suitcase’s interior evokes an atelier-made garment, using exposed stitching and overlocked edges to bring the craft of garment-making to the surface.

The collaboration pieces are finished through artisanal craftsmanship processes, hence making no two pieces identical and rendering each one of them entirely unique. A key element of the collaboration is the co-branded aluminum badge, which is finished with four slanted white stitches of real thread—Maison Margiela’s haute couture-derived emblem that traditionally secures its numeric label in a quiet rejection of conventional branding. Further bridging the worlds of travel and leather goods, a paired key bell and luggage tag fasten directly around the handle.

The RIMOWA x Margiela collection will be available from November 19 online at RIMOWA.com and MaisonMargiela.com. The collaboration will also be displayed exclusively in seven RIMOWA boutiques around the world, including Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, New York and Los Angeles, as well as in selected Maison Margiela boutiques.