Still, desirability is bigger than techy credentials. Rimowa trades in an if-you-know-you-know culture evoking the kind of nerdy enthusiasm normally reserved for watches, sneakers and cars (no doubt the stans have already nabbed their new Distinct collection cases, the first leather-wrapped designs from the maison in over 100 years). ‘When you come across another person travelling with a Rimowa suitcase, there’s an innate sense of community. That’s rooted in the values that the brand represents,’ says De Vitis. ‘But that doesn’t mean that our clientele is uniform.’ Indeed, while the efficient, business-minded traveller might appreciate the almost-anonymous chic of classic black, the young hypebeast may be wooed by the seasonal colours of the polycarbonate designs (Sea Blue the latest addition). Ingenious collaborations with the likes of Supreme, Alex Israel, Porsche, Dior and Tiffany & Co amplify the collectable cachet. To some they are objets, to others function-first objects. To most, they are a bit of both.