The airport luggage carousel makes a strong case for luggage with a distinctive design. Convention dictates that simple, black and boxy is best, but any traveler who has closely scrutinized plain black suitcase after plain black suitcase, searching for their own, might argue otherwise.

American Tourister’s new Curio Collection is a refreshing play of colour, shape and texture that disrupts the monotony of traditional luggage aesthetics. Led by Samsonite Asia design director Nobuo Maeda, Curio’s design prioritizes personality over tradition.

“Our team constantly takes inspiration from fashion and other trends and from market research to understand what’s upcoming,” Maeda says. “This final design of Curio is the result of hundreds of designs we have initiated. During the process, we may have wanted to proceed with a more traditional design, but decided to go with something more eye-catching and bold.”

Curio, which is available in North America as a carry-on and as a medium or large suitcase, is characterized by a textured ripple pattern, realized in a matte finish. It’s available in vibrant purple, pink, turquoise and yellow, as well as black and white for a more traditional look. The collection features 360-degree double wheels, a soft grip handle, a recessed TSA lock and an expandable function that adds capacity.

Curio’s signature pattern was inspired by the grooves of vinyl records. “When you go travelling, music is something that can’t be missed and will brighten up the journey. The round shape design of the front panel is like a music disc, which feels like playing music along the journey,” Maeda says. “Travel has become more and more popular, so the suitcase is no longer a commodity only. It also represents the lifestyle, fashion and even the personality of the traveler.”

The collection’s combination of functionality and aesthetics won over the jury of the Red Dot Awards, who recognized Curio with a 2017 Product Design prize, to be awarded at a gala on July 3. The international competition assesses products in 47 different categories and is recognized as a benchmark for world-class design.

This content was published by Azure on behalf of Samsonite.