Mini by TUMI

Okay, so the author has a soft spot for Cooper—Mini Cooper. Which got her hugely excited by a recent collaboration announced by a favourite luggage brand. TUMI is known for style and durability (at least in hand baggage mode—I trust nothing on Indian baggage belts!). But they have outdone themselves this time. The iconic Volcanic Orange racing stripes on black now come in seven styles of bag and two accessories, all lined inside with MINI’s honeycomb grille pattern embossed on the fabric. Reminiscent of the Cooper’s two-in-one profile, each bag also has a nifty trick of including a secondary storage unit—say, a small tote or laptop case. Ergo, you get two bags in one purchase! There are plenty of customisation options in the accessory kit: accessory straps, luggage tags, keyfolds, carabiners and the like. Interestingly, this Mini by Tumi collab seems to be a reversal of the 2011 MINI Goes TUMI, where the car was decked out in luggage-line upholstery. Also intriguing is the second pattern offered in this range: though a Madein-USA range, it is an inky blue-black Union Jack, lined discreetly with the Mini grille! Rs 4,500–57,000, TUMI boutiques in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.