EXCLUSIVE: Rimowa Has Forged a Partnership With Mykita for Eyewear

In lieu of a license, Rimowa has forged a long-term partnership with Berlin-based eyewear specialist Mykita for co-branded sunglasses, with the first styles dropping April 10.

“It was a pretty natural fit because it brings together two German industry leaders with a very strong angle on manufacturing, on design, and on durability,” Rimowa chief executive officer Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert said in an interview, revealing the project exclusively to WWD. “We really have a lot in common.”

Indeed, Cologne-based Rimowa remains a rarity in the luggage sector in that it manufactures 100 percent of its cases at production sites in Germany, Czech Republic and Canada.

“It’s really part of our ethos, part of who we are. It certainly defines our relationship to quality, to client services and so on,” Bonnet-Masimbert said. “Also there is this notion of German engineering, which is very, very prevalent and puts the emphasis on craftsmanship, attention to detail, and purposeful design.

“Through that comes transparency, sustainability, innovation, and I would add integrity,” Bonnet-Masimbert stressed.

Likewise, Mykita controls its creative, material development and manufacturing processes all under one roof in the German capital’s Kreuzberg district.

“Using a material in an honest way and trying to bring it into the best functionality and aesthetics,” is how Mykita founder Moritz Krueger described his firm’s approach, in addition to “focusing on functional design in a very minimalistic, straightforward, clear and iconic language.”

Anodized aluminum, which Rimowa has used to create its grooved suitcases since the ’20s, is a key feature of the Heritage series of co-branded sunglasses, which come in square, aviator and panto shapes.

It marks the first time Mykita has worked with aluminum — stainless steel, acetate and Mylon are its core materials — and the rigid metal offers structural stability to the designs. The aluminum rings in silver and black also contribute a distinctive design element.

Krueger visited Rimowa’s production facilities in Cologne, marveling at the giant rolls of aluminum that are the starting point for its coveted suitcases, which took inspiration from the aviation industry.

In his view, both Rimowa and Mykita “constantly cultivate further production intelligence, and through that, you really reach true design elements.”

A second series of sunglasses, dubbed Visor, combines lightweight stainless steel and a shield-like toric lens held in place by a Mylon clip. (Mylon is a material developed by Mykita using 3D printing technology and fine polyamide powder.)

All the styles reflect Rimowa’s dedication to mobility, with Bonnet-Masimbert calling sunglasses a “travel essential.”

One could certainly see the Visor style adopted by urban dwellers who use shared bicycle and scooter schemes, given its wraparound coverage and protection from UV rays, peripheral glare, and reflections.

Bonnet-Masimbert said all the sunglasses were co-designed to reflect the signature materials and design ethos of both brands, along with the notion of lightweight construction and “something that fits into everyday life.”

Mykita | Rimowa frames are set to retail at 515 and 595 euros at select Rimowa and Mykita stores, in addition to specialty retailers worldwide, starting on April 10. Each comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Founded in 1898, Rimowa has produced some limited-edition eyewear capsules in the past, but the goal has always been to find a long-term partner for the category, Bonnet-Masimbert said.

According to the executive, Mykita, founded in 2003, stood out for its industry reputation, dedication to craftsmanship, innovation in manufacturing processes, and mastery with sturdy, lightweight materials.

During a video call from Mykita Haus, Krueger related that three Rimowa suitcases have accompanied his travels for nearly 20 years.

“So it’s really a product I adore. It’s built in a way that you see the life of the product, and at the same time you can constantly refurbish it and preserve it for the future,” he said. “Many people are really proud about every little bump in their Rimowa suitcase, because it reminds them of their travels.

“For me, it’s a very personal item, like eyeglasses, and there’s an emotional connection,” he added.

He also relates closely to Rimowa’s manufacturing expertise and relished the opportunity to collaborate with its engineering, quality-assurance, creative, marketing and other departments.

“We immediately knew we could create something great together, and go deep into material development,” Krueger said. “Using a material in an honest way really means that you have to find the right construction that brings out all the functionality, that has a technical solution, that has an aesthetic solution… How to polish it better, how to cut it better, how to make a better use.

“I prefer to work with less materials, but really being able to bring out the best in a material… It was a great pleasure to analyze and understand the properties of aluminum, and then to see how we can integrate them in a new product that has a functionality that is beyond a classic, traditional metal frame,” he continued, musing, “now we have material number four in our shelf as an ingredient that we could use when it makes sense.”

Krueger noted that making the Mykita | Rimowa frames extremely lightweight and comfortable was a priority: hence stainless steel for all the flexible elements like the bridge, hinges and temples.

The design was also meant to exalt the “matte, super beautiful surface of the aluminum,” and the interplay with steel, “so it’s real industrial design,” he said.

The Heritage series incorporates the main colors of Rimowa’s aluminum suitcases — one silver, one more gold in hue, plus black — whereas the Visor series was a “use-case” scenario of a man or woman always on the move. “There the starting point was more the lens,” Krueger said. “It’s an open display, extremely simple construction.”

Bonnet-Masimbert noted that Rimowa and Mykita are already working on new designs, but they will not release frames according to any seasonal calendar.

The two parties characterized the partnership, quietly initiated almost three years ago, as enriching on both sides.

While Mykita is Rimowa’s only enduring partnership, it has also done limited-time collaborations with a host of fashion and luxury brands including Dior, Supreme, Tiffany & Co., Rick Owens and Off-White, plus left-field ones with the likes of La Marzocco, which specializes in handmade espresso machinery.

Likewise, Mykita has done collaborations with brands including Maison Margiela, Leica, Monocle, Bernard Wilhelm and O32c.

In support of its Mykita partnership, Rimowa is releasing a campaign featuring German actor Udo Kier — a regular in Lars von Trier films — and Luxembourgish-German actress Vicky Krieps.

Two short films take a lighthearted look at the process of getting a passport photo taken: Kier and Krieps are asked to follow all photo regulations, but allowed to keep their sunglasses on. Corey Hart would be proud.