《DROR @ TUMI》

DROR FOR TUMI represents pinnacle of design innovation for leading travel, business and lifestyle brand, its first ever collaboration with an external designer to create a new product line. Developed by award-winning designer Dror Benshetrit, the eleven-piece collection incorporates groundbreaking features that adapt for multiple uses and respond to the multifaceted lifestyle of today’s traveler. With several new patents pending—from design to materials—and a sophisticated new look, Tumi is once again poised to change the way we travel. “In our desire to continuously innovate, we seek a partner with a shared design philosophy who also brings a fresh perspective. Dror’s exceptional reputation for innovative, research-based designs that transform and adapt to users’ needs along with his impassioned vision made him a perfect fit to craft the next generation of Tumi bags,” said Tumi CEO Jerome Griffith. A highly versatile backpack easily shifts to a tote or brief, simply by adjusting the straps to carry by hand, on the back, or over the shoulder. A briefcase offers two bags in one—a workaday medium capacity bag slims down to a sleek, elegant case suitable for a slim laptop.  Even the travel kit has been re-imagined for various packing and usage styles. When opened it can be packed flat or hung from a fixture; when closed it takes on a more traditional shape that fits snugly in packing cases and sits easily on vanities.  While the four-wheeled hardside cases do not  transform, like the other pieces in the collection they represent top-of-the-line industry upgrades in quality and styling.

Seeking to develop a series of long-lasting, versatile products in which purpose and function are paramount without sacrificing elegance or aesthetic detailing, Dror and Tumi spent 18 months conducting extensive research and prototyping. Pushing the boundaries of engineering and manufacturing further than ever before, the resulting collection includes hardside cases and soft travel and business bags capable of dynamic “transformation.” “I essentially set about designing for myself—I’m constantly on the go, carrying different things and switching modes of transportation—from an iPad to gym clothes, from the workday to the night out; between quick business trips and the all-too-rare vacation; in and out of airports, speeding cross town on my motorcycle. More than ever, we expect our products to simply, effortlessly and elegantly fulfill all of our needs. Those that succeed become an indispensable extension of us and our lives,” said Dror Benshetrit. With this in mind, eight of the bags transform in some way—expanding or literally changing shape to accommodate different functions or modes of use. The International Carry-On, the first-ever expandable zipper-less hardside, is a model of versatility and ingenious engineering. The revolutionary two-wheeled case allows for three different size options through a two-stage expansion via a “living hinge” that makes it possible to adjust the bag’s depth from 9 inches to 14 inches, increasing its overall capacity by 45%.  

Dror also pushes the Tumi aesthetic into the future with the development of an iconic faceted panel that imparts a continuous architectural language across the entire collection, imbuing it with a unique visual identity. Applied on the hard cases, which are made from Tumi’s signature highly durable lightweight triple-layer ABS/polycarbonate in a unique brown/black colorway unique to this collection, the creases on the front panel increase the strength and rigidity of the outer shell; on the soft pieces, the facet is applied to outer leather pockets as a signature element; and on the lightweight nylon lining of the cases, it is a featured pattern element. Fusing the highest level of functionality with a modern, sophisticated look, cutting-edge materials and expert manufacturing, these stylish details speak to long-time Tumi devotees as much as to a new wave of progressive and savvy globetrotters.