RIMOWA Debuts Essential and Groove in Umber, Ultramarine
RIMOWA has given its two seasonal lines a fresh coat of colour. The German maison used a Seoul evening on 7 October to reveal its new Essential and Groove collections in Umber and Ultramarine, two shades drawn from the history of painting, and the pieces are already on sale worldwide.
Held at Layer Studio 41 in Seoul's creative Seongsu district, the evening drew more than 200 guests, including SEVENTEEN's S.COUPS, actress Shin Ye-eun, actor Ahn Hyo-seop and Thai actor and singer PP Krit. The raw, warehouse-style space was set up as an immersive walk through the range rather than a traditional runway, letting guests handle the cases and bags up close.
Two colours with a story
The collection's hook is the pairing of Umber and Ultramarine. Umber is the warm, earthy mineral pigment that painters have used since the earliest days of the craft, while Ultramarine is the deep, velvety blue originally ground from lapis lazuli and once costlier than gold. RIMOWA has carried both across its hard and soft products, so the colour reads the same whether you pick a suitcase, a bag or a smaller accessory.
What is in the Essential and Groove lines
The showcase spanned RIMOWA's two signature construction styles. The Essential line covers the brand's polycarbonate suitcases, the lighter, grooved shells that sit alongside its heavier aluminium cases. Groove is the leather side of the house, a range of bags and soft accessories meant to travel next to the luggage rather than inside the hold. Showing both together in the same two colours is the point: a matching case, bag and accessory that work as a set.
RIMOWA has been widening what it makes for a while now, from travel staples into collectible and lifestyle pieces. We saw that in its limited-edition aluminium Dartboard Case and in the leather-led Never Still campaign shot across Bangkok. The Umber and Ultramarine drop is the seasonal, wardrobe-building version of that same idea.
Where and when to buy
The RIMOWA Essential and Groove collection in Umber and Ultramarine launched worldwide on 8 October. Malaysian shoppers can find it at RIMOWA stores and online at RIMOWA.com. The brand did not share Malaysian ringgit pricing for the new colourways in its announcement, so expect them to sit within RIMOWA's usual Essential and Groove ranges.
The takeaway
New colours on familiar shapes will not change how a RIMOWA case rolls, but Umber and Ultramarine give the Essential and Groove lines a clear seasonal identity, and the art-history framing is a neat way to tell two very different products apart. For anyone who has been waiting on a RIMOWA that is not silver, black or beige, this is the season to look.
