Luxury luggage maker Rimowa is unpacking the new look of its Rodeo Drive outpost in Beverly Hills with a grand opening Wednesday.
The 1,400-square-foot space at 201A North Rodeo Drive began as a pop-up store in 2017 for the German luxury luggage maker. It became a full-blown store a year later to showcase the brand’s latest durable luggage collections made mostly of aluminum or polycarbonate.
Now, the luggage legacy is unveiling a remodel where the walls are made of floor-to-ceiling grooved recycled wood to represent the classic grooved exteriors found on Rimowa suitcases. Another new feature is the in-house client care counter, which caters to customers whose luggage needs to be repaired.
The floor-to-ceiling windows and a corner glass rotunda provide a look at Rodeo Drive and the adjacent Wilshire Boulevard, where there is a view of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel with its green and red awnings. The rotunda features a custom illustration for Rimowa by Norwegian artist Oscar Grønner.
For the grand opening, tattoo artist Dr. Woo was hired to cohost the event and create custom limited-edition luggage stickers.
Rimowa was founded in 1898 in Cologne, Germany. In the ’30s, a fire in the luggage company’s factory burned most of its materials, leaving only aluminum. Now the luggage label is known for its classic grooved aluminum suitcases. In 2000, the suitcase maker added colorful polycarbonate to its offerings.
Since 2016, Rimowa has been principally owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which paid 640 million euros to acquire 80 percent of the company.
