Look, aluminium suitcases are everywhere now. But in the late 19th Century, when Georges (son of Louis) Vuitton was experimenting with aluminium as a material, it was new and precious. Once more valuable than gold, Napoleon reportedly served only his most important guests with aluminium cutlery. 

With scientific advancement, aluminium production took off in the 1890s, and the maison produced a small quantity of trunks in the metal, along with others in zinc and brass. Surviving Louis Vuitton aluminium trunks from this period are rare and highly coveted.

This year, the maison revisits its history, presenting its first ever aluminium suitcase: the Horizon Aluminium. For this addition to its travel collection, Louis Vuitton once again collaborated with designer Marc Newson, who first launched the Horizon suitcase collection ten years ago.

A celebrated industrial designer (and world traveller himself), Newson’s work spans everything from furniture to fine art and tech. He’s best known for the Lockheed Lounge: a futuristic, aluminium chaise longue he designed in 1988, which has fetched record-breaking prices at auction. He also worked closely with Johnny Ive on the design for the original Apple Watch.

So think of the new Horizon Aluminium as both a highly functional, tech-forward design and a luxury statement. On the shell, the Louis Vuitton monogram cleverly works double duty, as both the signature motif and a way of reinforcing the durability and resistance of the suitcase. 

Newson has also engineered ways to conceal the hinges and do away with rivets, resulting in an unusually sleek look that breaks from standard suitcase designs. Aluminium aside, the leather adornments at the corners and handles are available in two options: signature vegetable-tanned VVN or black leather.

The Horizon Aluminium will launch in June, but it’s already racking up airmiles among House Ambassadors and friends of the House. At Cannes Film Festival in May, BamBam, Cate Blanchett, Léa Seydoux and Charles Melton were all spotted disembarking from their flights with a Horizon Aluminium 55 in tow.