Luggage: a style journey

11 March 2010

Luggage has come a long way in recent years; the growth of the accessories industry, coupled with the increasingly accessible nature of business and leisure travel, has seen a parallel expansion of the luggage category; an evolution reflected by the wide array of travel bags and accessories at The Bags & Accessories Fair.

The impressive array of luggage brands showcasing at recent fairs include Cobb&Co, Luggage with Looks, LYS Paris Luggage and LYS Paris Travelgear (comprising the Pierre Cardin and Milleni brands) and Vera May. Meanwhile the upcoming Melbourne fair from 29-31 August 2010, will showcase iconic luggage brand Samsonite. Synonymous with quality luggage, the Samsonite Corporation's reputation for hard-wearing luggage dates back to its foundation in 1910 in the guise of the US based Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company. The company named one of its first ever lines "Samson", after the Biblical strongman, initiating the Samsonite trademark in the early 1940s, before adopting the Samsonite name as its company banner in the 60s. After a century in the luggage business, the Samsonite brand has perfected its reputation for durability, offering numerous sub ranges including hard-side or soft-side lines, a business travel gear offer, casual luggage, kids' bags and a Black Label luggage collection.

Such brand diversification illustrates growing interest in reviving the glamour of travel, which has seen luggage evolve from a functional appendage to style statement, with brands such as Vera May injecting a strong dose of fashion into the category.

To see how far the luggage category has travelled in recent years, visit the Bags & Accessories Fair, twice yearly in Melbourne and Sydney. With scores of luggage and travel related labels on the stands, it won't be a wasted journey.

 

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