How Luggage Became a Luxury Status Symbol

Couli Jobert seems perfectly content not to encounter too many pieces of Globe-Trotter luggage when she’s at the airport—a curious stance, given that she serves as the English heritage brand’s creative director. But to hear her tell it, the rarity of these painstakingly handmade cases, which start at US$1,695 for a carry-on and top out at US$5,595 for a large checked bag, is part of their claim to fame. “I think it makes you unique,” she says over Zoom from her office in Paris, noting that hers sports the brand’s distinctive brick-red hue. “When I travel, people stop me and say, ‘Wow, beautiful colour…. What is this luggage?’ ”

Increasingly, well-designed, eye-catching carry-ons and checked cases signal more about you than about your destination. Luggage has become a luxury status symbol—even for commercial jet-setters—a style statement on par with limited-edition sneakers and hard-to-get handbags. In place of ubiquitous black-nylon rollers, attention-grabbing suitcases that telegraph wealth and taste are now de rigueur in private hangars and public concourses.

The preponderance of high-end bags on the market tracks with a dramatic shift in how frequently the well-heeled travel. According to recent research from Resonance, a Los Angeles–based consulting firm, nearly one-third of the wealthiest 1 per cent of U.S. households took between six and 11 leisure trips in 2025, up from 15 per cent in 2022. (Average Americans take fewer than three such journeys annually.) The firm estimates that the top 10 per cent of American earners will spend an eye-watering US$544 billion on vacations this year.

Hence, the demand for well-made luggage from brands including Louis Vuitton, a perennial favourite, or stylish metal cases from the insider maker Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano, which have now become constant companions for U.H.N.W. travellers. Carl Friedrik, another favourite, has made a name for itself on the HBO helipad dramas Succession and Industry. And then, of course, there’s Rimowa, the hyper-popular German maker known for its rolling aluminium trunks—and ironclad lifetime guarantee.

“I mean, in Paris during fashion week, I think I counted 27 Rimowas on one flight,” says Nolan Meader, a New York City–based personal stylist and fashion consultant who flies with one of his own up to 40 times a year. “Now that people are travelling more, they want things that are reliable and convenient, but also, it is a bit of a status thing.”

Of course, the real flex is chartering your own flight—avoiding check-in-desk fatigue, security lines, and concern about overweight luggage altogether. At that level, Meader points to the rarefied travel bags from Hermès, such as the leather-clad R.M.S. Cabin Suitcase or the men’s HAC, an oversized take on the Birkin that has been spotted in the hands of Pharrell Williams, Travis Kelce, Lionel Messi, and David Beckham. “I feel like those are probably more conducive to having a private plane than to, you know, being stuffed in an overhead compartment,” Meader says.

1. Rimowa

While Rimowa’s aluminium rollers are approaching airport ubiquity, its leather-wrapped Distinct Cabin (US$3,525) feels far more exclusive.

2. Globe-Trotter

Globe-Trotter’s lightweight, durable rollers (from US$1,695) are made from a patented, vulcanised fiberboard with leather accents.

3. Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton’s Keepall 50 (US$2,630) has been turning heads in transit since it was introduced in 1930.

4. Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano

Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano’s Bank Spinner (from US$1,975) uses old-school leather straps to secure your belongings.

5. Carl Friedrik

Carl Friedrik unveiled its first aluminium carry-on (US$895) in March.

6. Hermès

Hermès’s R.M.S. Cargo Cabin Suitcase (US$24,200) blends leather, canvas, and skateboard-style wheels.

Lead image: Courtesy of Globe-Trotter

This story was originally published on Robb Report USA.