Now that travel is finally starting back up again, we’re dreaming about *all* the getaways. Celeb-adored luggage brand Away has long been a favorite of frequent jet-setters, thanks to its array of durable yet fashionable suitcases and travel accessories. Now, the stylish brand is trying something new, as Away just revealed their plans for a designer collaboration series.
Every year, the brand will partner up with a new group of designers from different backgrounds and lifestyles, and ask them to transform three classic Away pieces with their own unique twist in order to create limited-edition capsule collections. “We know that now more than ever people are emotionally invested in travel,” Away co-founder and CEO Jen Rubio told Observer. “We hope that this series will introduce Away’s existing community to a variety of talented designers and artists from around the world, while also introducing Away to the beautiful, diverse communities of our collaborators.”
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For the first series, Away has partnered with Sandy Liang, tia adeola and Ji Won Choi, and tasked the three New York-based fashion designers with reimagining Away’s Large Everywhere Bag, Front Pocket Backpack and Travel Pouch Set, with their own take on modern design.
“We aimed to partner with designers who would be able to infuse their personalities into our products. In our early conversations with these three designers in particular, they each offered a distinct and vivid vision for Away’s products which we were immediately inspired by,” Rubio explained. “Sandy, Tia and Ji also are known for their starkly different design techniques and signature elements. By uniting such varied styles, we knew that the resulting collections would all look and feel completely unique to each other, a tension we were eager to explore.”
The result is an eclectic array of travel accessories that you’ll definitely want to add to your jet set wardrobe; there’s something for everyone, and all the items are perfectly unique.
To start, native New Yorker Liang chose a cheerful floral pattern that feels reminiscent of the 1970s; she was inspired by the “playful wanderlust people are feeling towards travel right now. Choi, on the other hand, used three different shades of blue for a colorblock design, with crisp white piping. The Seoul-born, Oklahoma-raised designer was inspired by travel, of course, and the “different cultures, places and people…I wanted to create something uplifting, bright and sporty—something that could be spotted from far away and was immediately recognizable and distinguishable.”
Adeola, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in London, is a “longtime admirer of Away and love[s] the fact that it is a female-founded company,” was influenced by “restructuring the representation of female bodies in the 21st century, challenging constructs with statement pieces that are meant for the everyday and rewriting history through fashion.” The end result is a very chic, preppy and feminine collection in a custom multicolored tweed, with shades of yellow and hints of green and orange, as well as a pink ruffle and zipper.
This is just the beginning, as the initiative is a multi-year series that will continue annually, with a fresh set of creative talent annually. The first limited edition capsule collection ranges in price from $55 to $295, and is available to shop online at Away starting October 14. Below, see a few of our favorite pieces to scoop up from the exclusive drop.
