From Travel Gear Leader to Lifestyle Innovator

The very concept of travel gear is being redefined. At its half-century mark, Tumi — the global leader in premium business, travel and lifestyle gear — has transformed its performance-engineered core into a springboard for lifestyle culture.

How is Tumi rewriting the playbook for a luxury, lifestyle house? To mark its 50th anniversary, Tumi is launching a China-first blitz. The campaign features a global flagship on Shanghai’s most storied avenue, Chinese actor Wei Daxun as Asia-Pacific brand ambassador and all-new women’s collections.

WWD China sat down with Victor Sanz, Tumi’s Global Creative Director, to discuss how design, space and cultural strategy converge at this 50-year inflection point.

Design-Led Transformation, Recoding Tumi’s Global Language

In a sea of sameness, design has become the most effective strategic weapon. In premium travel, aesthetics are the quickest route to identity and emotion.

“Tumi has always been shorthand for business travel,” said Sanz. “As consumers evolve, we remain obsessive about durability, reliability and technical innovation. We are now extending those same values to products that go beyond the boarding gate. Today’s traveler won’t be boxed in by labels. Being a business traveler doesn’t cancel out a strong fashion IQ.”

To mark its 50th anniversary, Victor is orchestrating a bold leap—from performance philosophy to emotional aesthetics. The signature 19 Degree design motif, treated as the brand’s design DNA, is executed in next-gen materials such as Tegris®, transforming structure into crafted beauty.

Color heightens visual memory: anniversary Tumi Red and translucent silver metallics emerge as instant identifiers. “Through our 19 Degree language, Tegris® delivers both technical finesse and layered visuals,” said Sanz. “That’s the fusion we’re after — function and fashion no longer stand opposed. They run parallel, blend and cross-pollinate.”

For fall 2025, the brand voice leans into urban graphics: poster prints that crackle with cultural tension. “Every season, we pick one city as our launchpad. New York is our HQ,” noted Sanz. “Therefore, this poster series borrows from street-poster culture — messy yet electric. Each piece holds its own story and heartbeat.” It’s the next step in Tumi’s credo that design must carry emotion.

Crucially, Tumi is dismantling the male-gaze lens that once defined its line-up. Sanz notes that women prioritize “durability, utility and smart engineering” even more — and seek an emotional connection. The new Voyageur line delivers just that: silhouettes and palettes attuned to feminine sensibilities yet still stamped with Tumi DNA — magnetic pockets and hyper-organized interiors.

“Our consumers are our muses. We watch how they live. Tumi wants to walk with them from the boardroom into real life,” said Sanz.

With this shift, the brand transforms its products from mere gear into emotional anchors. In doing so, it forges a universal language that transcends cultural, gender and lifestyle boundaries. In addition to Voyageur, Tumi has introduced two new women’s collections for fall 2025. Olas and Agent are designed with versatility and sophistication to meet the needs of modern women.

Space as Manifesto — Creating the “Physical Energy” of Brand Spirit

“Retail is content.” Today, a store is more than a place to shop. It’s a stage where brand ethos and culture come alive in real time. Tumi understands this. Its Shanghai Centre flagship embodies the brand’s worldview, expressed through concrete, glass and light.

The façade translates DNA into architecture — a sculptural homage to the 19 Degrees’ contours that transforms the street corner into a landmark. Inside, the space’s flow, lighting, materials and interactive touchpoints compose a living script, one you can walk through, play with and feel.

Of particular note is “The Journey,” an artwork created by Chinese artist Xu Fei, also known by his artistic alias, Ershiyi (二十一). “The bamboo installation pays homage to traditional Chinese craftsmanship while simultaneously extending Tumi’s material language,” explained Sanz, emphasizing the synergy between the brand and Xu Fei’s work. “The woven structure of bamboo resonates deeply with the logic of our robust woven core material, Tegris®. There is a philosophical connection in our approach to materials: both embody strength through the beauty of their structure.” Through this artistic collaboration, Tumi demonstrates its refined capacity for cultural resonance.

Inside, every detail makes a statement. A women-focused zone amplifies female voices. From the interactive materials wall to the suitcase “scene labs,” the layout invites immersive participation. This scenographic, differentiated storytelling transforms shoppers from passive spectators into co-authors of the brand narrative.

“Tumi consumers are global travellers,” noted Sanz. “Within that global context, we value local nuance — particularly in Asia-Pacific and China. Chinese shoppers look for a balance between modernity and heritage. That dynamic is precisely why we chose Shanghai for our flagship.”

A Human-Centered Content Ecosystem, From a Diversified Product Portfolio to a Global Ambassador Strategy

In an era where premium brands are increasingly defined by content, fostering human connection has become a cornerstone of long-term brand strategy. To create lasting value, Tumi has built a sophisticated, tiered content architecture rooted in cohesive storytelling.

The foundation lies in its product matrix. The Alpha series represents durability and engineered performance. Voyageur combines elevated style with practical utility. The 19 Degree line — with its featherweight shells and fluid silhouettes — strengthens Tumi’s iconic design language. Together, they form a lasting brand asset. Complementary offerings such as Tumi+ and travel accessories further integrate the brand into daily rituals, fostering consistent consumer engagement across contexts.

Equally vital is Tumi’s Ambassador Culture. Wei Daxun’s affiliation extends beyond visibility. His “travel partner” persona embodies the brand’s ethos. Serving as an emotional bridge between Tumi and its audience, he translates brand values into relatable experiences. From the final chapter of Tumi’s 19 Degree Lite Uncompromisingly Light campaign to immersive retail installations, he conveys an aspirational yet accessible lifestyle that resonates with Gen Z’s identity and ambitions. By placing people at the center of its narrative, Tumi combines humanized storytelling with a cohesive product ecosystem, transforming itself from a functional luggage maker into a cultural lifestyle symbol.

Importantly, Tumi expands its orbit through boundary-pushing partnerships — most notably with McLaren. These collaborations create a cultural flywheel, positioning the brand into the overlapping Venn diagram of design, technology and street culture, where it adheres across every layer of a consumer’s life.

Sanz summarizes the principle into two words: values resonance. “Look at McLaren,” he said. “Fanatical user experience, relentless performance, cutting-edge composites and design built to outlast trends — swap the logo and it could be Tumi. This isn’t co-branding. It’s a shared mindset. Our role is to integrate ourselves into the moments that make up our customers’ days.”

At fifty, Tumi isn’t looking back. It’s rewriting its story. Evolving from travel gear to a multi-dimensional lifestyle icon, the brand has harnessed design fluency to assert aesthetic authority, used spatial storytelling to project cultural warmth and nurtured communities that keep consumers connected. In doing so, Tumi has redefined what premium luggage means, delivering the industry a masterclass in vaulting from pure function into the realm of cultural spirit.