Suitcases with Seoul

In the new capital of cool, Tumi launched its Autumn 2023 collection with the help of head-turning art and a local hero.

- Eugene Phua

AS FAR AS launchpads go, Seoul is probably the coolest place in the world right now to debut a brand’s latest collection. So, to celebrate the unveiling of its Autumn 2023 collection, Tumi chose Lotte World Mall—located next to the 123-storey, 555m Lotte World Tower—to showcase the latest 19 Degree and Alpha X collections at its Essentially Beautiful pop-up experience.

The pop-up also featured the multidirectional perspective Tumi Hypercraft Sculpture by Michael Murphy. The American artist, famous for his artworks that manifest differently depending on where and how you view them, paid homage to the popular 19 Degree Aluminum suitcase and the Tumi logo. Viewed from the many floors above ground level where the pop-up was held, you may assume that it’s just a bunch of randomly hanging structures. But if you looked at the sculpture intently from the side, the 19 Degree suitcase eventually appeared; and if you continued gazing at it as you walked around, the Tumi logo came into view. “This sculpture he created with Victor Sanz, our creative director, is a great metaphor for Tumi,” said Adam Hershman, Tumi’s vice president of Asia Pacific and Middle East, at the pop-up. “When you look at it from a certain angle you’ll see the exterior, a beautiful sculpture, and something that’s really cool. And then when you start to look at it with more detail, it becomes something else. It’s like a magic moment. And I think that’s also how we are as a company. We create products with a beautiful exterior, and as you look more into the details, you’ll see how much thought and intention has gone into every element of every product that we create.”