Rimowa celebrates its 125th anniversary with a touring exhibition, "SEIT 1898", which showcases the evolution of travel habits since the brand's founding back in 1898 in Cologne, Germany.
SEIT 1898 features over 100 cases from its archives and friends of the brand that look back on the cultural and technological forces that shaped these resilient tools of transport.
Rimowa cases are presented in a series of evocative diorama displays in the exhibition. Within each display, the stories of the materials, craftsmanship, people, and places that define the Maison’s identity are told — from a carefully curated selection of the Maison’s archives to a series of pieces from collaborations, as well as specialised cases made for connoisseurs.
Making its stop in New York City, at the Chelsea Factory, the Maison is exclusively showcasing the privately owned cases of public figures like Spike Lee, Martha Stewart, Roger Federer, Justin Theroux, LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton, Takashi Murakami, Billie Eilish, and Patti Smith, among many more. Additionally, a sticker diorama takes centre-stage, made of mounted walls of metal sheets sourced from RIMOWA factories. Guests are invited to personalise the display by placing their very own stickers on the aluminium walls. The diorama will go on to make its way to Shanghai and Cologne as part of Seit 1898, collecting memories of the people it encountered and the places its been along the way.
SEIT 1898 is open to the public from now till 17 September, at Chelsea Factory from Monday to Sunday, 11 am to 7 pm.
