Iconic ribbed panels meet functional storage in this collaboration that is Concept USM by Rimowa
Check out this one-off storage concept piece by Swiss furniture designer Ulrich Schärer Münsingen (USM) and luxury heritage luggage label Rimowa. Combining the versatility and durability of USM’s Haller E2 with Rimowa’s iconic grooved aluminium design, Concept USM by Rimowa is everything we want in a luxury storage unit.
More than a simple replacement of materials, Laurent Crochet, CEO of USM France, recounts that “it was not possible to replace the existing USM steel panels with grooved aluminium panels, without losing some functional features.”
It being a concept piece, the heritage luggage brand shaped the panel to fit the Haller E2 and produced it in their historical factory in Cologne, Germany. The USM team then assembled it in Switzerland. Adapting both their factories to create customised parts for Concept USM by Rimowa, this project is a testament to both USM and Rimowa’s manufacturing capabilities.
Currently on display at Rimowa’s Paris showroom, CMO De Vitis reflects that the project “[pushes] the boundaries of design and technology.” Quality and functionality underlie both USM and Rimowa’s values, and this collaboration allows us a glimpse into what both brands can offer.
As CEO Crochet rightly points out, “whether it’s at home, in the office, or on the way to one of them, furniture and luggage are, after all, what you rely on to store, protect and organise your favourite things.”
