FASHION & FUNCTION

TUMI’S CREATIVE DIRECTOR, VICTOR SANZ JOINS DA MAN’S RICKY RONALDO IN A SEASONAL CHAT ABOUT TUMI’S ARTISTRY AND HOW TRAVEL HAS CHANGED.

W ithin Tumi’s vocabulary, a bag— whether a piece of luggage or a backpack—is not merely a unit to stuff our belongings in. It is a sculptural and fashionable item that serves as an extension of ourselves and the multidimensional and often fast-paced life we live in. The understanding of the latter is definitely what Tumi excels in, which is evident from its innovative approach, practical designs and high-quality craftsmanship. The fashion element is also glowingly present—and growing. So, Tumi is definitely looking up to a promising and even greater future. DAMAN: What kind of new features is Tumi introducing this fall and winter? Victor Sanz: Some of the things that we’re always looking at are not only from a material standpoint, but also from how we execute the materials. We have the 19 Degree Aluminum cases and we’ve been playing a lot with how the material is finished and how we apply color to it. DA: Was the optical pattern in this season’s Tahoe backpack inspired by Scandinavia? VS: It was. So, what we thought about was “How can you digitize the northern lights?” And we created this pattern from that and it just became this kind of optical effect, similar to the feeling that you would have when you see the northern lights. It becomes a bit magical. DA: So there’s a constant movement… VS: Exactly. For us, when we talk about inspiration and destination, we don’t look at it from a very literal perspective, but how do we put that through the Tumi lens and filter to create something that’s in line with what our customers want. And it’s more than just architecture; it’s about food, culture, people and music.

DA: How does your passion for architecture translate into design? VS: You know, being a designer, you’re always seeing new things. You’re traveling the world and being exposed to many things. Tumi’s 19 Degree, for example, was born out of the idea of “how do we create a sculpture you can travel with?” DA: Is this part of Tumi’s approach to design? VS: From the very beginning I think we live in a very sculptural world. I think that we’re trying to connect with our customers on a more emotional level. I think Tumi’s DNA is grounded in that functionality and durability. What we’re trying to do now is move even further beyond that, where the customers come to us for those elements and we’re never changing them. So, how do we place this more fashionably in a way that has more of an emotional connection to our customers? DA: What is the biggest challenge when it comes to designing luggage today? VS: Keeping up with the ever-changing regulations that airlines put on. So, I think for us it’s always being on point with what those changes are, reacting quickly to it and ensuring that our customers have the best options. We want to take the headache of travel away and we want to make the trip as easy as possible. DA: Since smart luggage is trending right now, how do you personally define it?

VS: I think the way it’s been defined is about having power in your luggage. Our approach for smart technology within our bags and luggage is through knowing that our customer’s days are so versed. So, we want to make sure that the technology that we offer is versatile. In certain regions we offer our global locator, which is a tracking device you can put it in any bag. But we also know that if it was just embedded into the luggage then that technology stays there. And that’s how I see it. It has to be flexible and versatile. I think we went through a phase about two years ago where everything had to be connected, even your water bottle was connected and I think people are smart enough to know if

their got very water excited is hot about or cold. putting [ Laughs] it everywhere. I think people Technology should be used in the right places and that it should be engaging. We shouldn’t use technology just to use technology. DA: Undoubtedly one of the most important markets of today are the millennials. How is Tumi approaching this generation? VS: They’re really interesting. I think they have a bad stigma, but they’re going to define the future for us. They want to travel to get that connection and experience. And it’s less about just traveling for business; they’ll put money aside to travel to experience new destinations. That’s a very interesting aspect for us. We have a collection called Merge that is really focused on millennial travel. It’s where we focus on the person that’s traveling for leisure. DA: And how do you think luggage is different today compared to how it was in the past? VS: Travel is much more fashionable. It’s much more of a lifestyle. People want to have a connection to it. They care about what it looks like and how long it is going to last. It’s not disposable and it shouldn’t be. It should last. You shouldn’t have to worry about your luggage. And I think that’s one of the reasons people chose Tumi. They feel, "Hey, it’s an investment and they’re going to have it for years to come.” DA: And finally, what would you say is the most important thing when designing luggage?

VS: Really, it’s about understanding the customer. To me, that is the key: To know how their lives have changed and how they’re going to use the product. I think that’s testament to a good design. And then from there, it is really to inspire the customer. That’s the difficult part. The entire design team and I strives to connect with them, and we are always pushing ourselves to be inspired, pushing the industry and also the customers to be inspired.